FaceBook... democracy is good--- just don't use it to promote peace and worker's rights

An interesting notice I received from FaceBook administrators:

"Block! You are engaging in behavior that may be considered annoying or abusive by other users.You have been blocked from adding friends because you repeatedly misused this feature. This block will last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. When you are allowed to reuse this feature, please proceed with caution. Further misuse may result in your account being permanently disabled. For further information, please visit our FAQ page."

So much for using FaceBook in exercising democratic rights!

This in the world's greatest bastion of democracy... the good old U.S.A.

American democracy, the Constitution and Bill of Rights... the greatest contributions ever made to humankind... just don't try to use these rights to promote peace and worker's rights.

And now I get this notice trying to post my thoughts about this "BLOCK" on making friends on FaceBook:

Status Too Long. Your status update is too long. The maximum status length is 420 characters, but it is 825 characters long.

FaceBook banned me before; now FaceBook is trying to stifle what I have to say. Previously, FaceBook tried to ban me for sending out peace and social justice messages to friends. Now, if I was posting racist messages of bigotry and hate there would be no problem... only in America.

FaceBook also informed me that my account would be closed if I continued to refer to Barack Obama as a "Dumb Donkey."

Chinese censors block Obama's call to free the Web

Apparently Barack Obama has never bothered to find out how "e-democracy" funded with tax-dollars and subsidized with foundation grants and contributions from well-heeled Democrats and the Blandin Foundation operate by excluding through banning progressive voices attempting to engage in dialog, discussion and debate.

As far as "human rights" go... perhaps Hu should talk to Barack Obama about the plight of two-million people employed in the Indian Gaming Industry in this country dominated by a network of highly profitable casino operations overseen by a bunch of mobsters forcing people to work in loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights enjoyed by other workers under state, federal or international labor laws and protections.

Or, perhaps Hu should discuss with Barack Obama why his Administration is refusing to enforce affirmative action policies and guidelines to overcome the shameful and disgraceful institutionalized racism that reach up into the highest levels of private industry and government permeating and saturating every single aspect of life in America.

Hu should call on Barack Obama to free our country from Wall Street's rule which places profits before people when it comes to the Internet and every other human endeavor.

There is no end to Barack Obama's arrogance and hypocrisy as he marches to Wall Street's drummer.

Obama should consider himself very fortunate Hu didn't ask him: Where's the change?

One prolific blogger,

Alan L. Maki



By ALEXA OLESEN, Associated Press Writer Alexa Olesen, Associated Press Writer – Mon Nov 16, 2009

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_obama_china_internet

BEIJING – President Barack Obama prodded China about Internet censorship and free speech, but the message was not widely heard in China where his words were blocked online and shown on only one regional television channel.

China has more than 250 million Internet users and employs some of the world's tightest controls over what they see. The country is often criticized for its so-called "Great Firewall of China" — technology designed to prevent unwanted traffic from entering or leaving a network.

During his town hall meeting in Shanghai on Monday, Obama responded at length to a question about the firewall — remarks that were later played down in the Chinese media and scrubbed from some Chinese Web sites.

"I'm a big supporter of non-censorship," Obama said. "I recognize that different countries have different traditions. I can tell you that in the United States, the fact that we have free Internet — or unrestricted Internet access — is a source of strength, and I think should be encouraged."

Obama may have been hoping to set a personal example for China's leaders when he said he believes that free discussion, including criticism that may be annoying to him, makes him "a better leader because it forces me to hear opinions that I don't want to hear."

One prolific blogger who goes by the name of Hecaitou said that a transcript of the exchange posted on the portal Netease was taken down by censors after just 27 minutes. A full Chinese-language transcript of the event was later posted on the official Xinhua News Agency Web site but required four clicks to locate the relevant section.

Only local Shanghai TV carried the event live. It was streamed on two popular Internet portals and on the White House's Web site, which is not censored, though both the video and audio feeds were choppy and delayed inside China.

The People's Daily online briefly summarized Obama as telling the crowd that the Internet has "enormous power in assisting information dissemination," but made no mention of his comments on censorship.

China has the world's most extensive system of Web monitoring and censorship and has issued numerous regulations in response to the rise of blogging and other trends. But the Web remains far more open than the country's tightly controlled print and television media, which is the only source of news for the vast majority of Chinese.

Yang Hengjun, 45, a blogger and novelist based in the southern city of Guangzhou, said he was impressed by Obama's frank admission that some free speech irks him, and by U.S. laws that are intended to keep the government from censoring criticism.

"You see, freedom of speech in America is not given to the people by the president but is something that the people use to supervise their government and president, to protect themselves," Yang wrote in an essay titled "Why do I Blog? Obama has answered that question." Posted online late Monday, links to the essay were spread via Twitter.

Because Twitter is blocked in China, Yang and others use proxy servers to get around the controls.

Teaching Journalism with a Mission / The Internet: It's not a truck, It's a town square

15 September 2009
Robert Jensen : Teaching Journalism with a Mission


Can journalism schools be relevant in a world on the brink?

By Robert Jensen / The Rag Blog / September 15, 2009

Journalism schools have much in common with the mainstream news media they traditionally serve. As the business model for conventional corporate journalism collapses and digital technologies reshape the media landscape, journalism schools struggle with parallel problems around curricula and personnel.

As I begin my third decade of teaching journalism, I hear more and more students doubting the relevance of journalism schools -- for good reasons. The best of our students are worried not just about whether they can find a job after graduation but also whether those jobs will allow them to contribute to shaping a decent future for a world on the brink.

Can journalism and journalism education be relevant as it becomes increasing clear that the political, economic, and social systems that structure our world are failing us on all counts? Do these institutions have the capacity to see past the problems of falling ad revenues and outdated curricula, and struggle to understand the crises of our age? Can journalists and journalism educators find the courage to grapple with these challenges?

The question isn’t whether journalism and education are important in a democratic society but whether the institutions in which those two endeavors traditionally have been carried out can adapt -- not only to the specific changes in that industry, but to that world in crisis.

My answer is a tentative “yes, but” -- only if both enterprises jettison the illusions of neutrality that have hampered their ability to monitor the centers of power for citizens and model real critical thinking for students.

Journalism’s business problems provide an opportunity for journalism education to remake itself, which should start with a declaration of independence from the mainstream media and a renunciation of the corporate media’s allegiances to the existing power structure. Our only hope is in getting radical, going to the root of the problems.

Toward that end, I proposed a new mission statement to my faculty colleagues in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. I argued that by stating bluntly the nature of the crises we face in today’s world and breaking with our longstanding subordination to the industry, we could offer an exciting alternative to students who don’t want to repeat the failures of our generation.

It quickly became clear that while some colleagues agreed with some aspects of the statement below, only a handful would endorse it as a mission statement. Some disagreed with my assessment of the crises we face, while others thought it politically ill-advised to criticize the industry and corporate power so directly. But nothing in that discussion dissuaded me from my conclusion that if journalism education is to be relevant in the coming decades, we must change course dramatically.

So, I offer this mission statement to a broader audience as one starting point for debate about the future of journalism schools, which must be connected to a discussion about the fundamental distribution of wealth and power in the larger world. Journalism alone can’t turn around a dying culture, of course, but it can be part of the process by which a more just and sustainable alternative emerges.

Journalism for Justice /
Storytelling for Sustainability:
News Media Education for a New Future

Schools of journalism must recognize that our work goes forward in a society facing multiple crises -- political and cultural, economic and ecological. These crises are not the product of temporary downturns but evidence of a permanent decline if the existing systems and structures of power continue on their present trajectory.

These failing systems produce too little equality within the human family and too much devastation in the larger ecosystem. We face a world that is profoundly unjust in the distribution of wealth and power, and fundamentally unsustainable in our use of the ecological resources of the planet. The task of journalism is to deepen our understanding of these challenges and communicate that understanding to the public to foster the meaningful dialogue necessary for real democracy.

The best traditions of journalism are based in resistance to the illegitimate structures of authority at the heart of our problems. From Thomas Paine to Upton Sinclair, Ida B. Wells and Ida Tarbell, the most revered journalists have had the courage to take a stand for ordinary people and against arrogant concentrations of power. But today, commercial journalism is constrained by diversionary and deceptive claims to neutrality, leaving journalists trapped in a corporate-defined and -directed subservience to the status quo. Increasingly we live with a journalism that rarely speaks truth to power and routinely echoes the platitudes of the powerful. Even when journalists raise critical questions, too often it is within the parameters set by the wealthy and their political allies.

In a world in which an increasingly predatory global corporate economy leaves half the population living on less than $2.50 a day, can we ignore the call for justice? In a world in which all indicators of the health of the ecosystem that makes our lives possible are in dramatic decline, can we ignore the cry of the living world? Mass media have a moral responsibility to produce journalism for justice and storytelling for sustainability.

As the journalism industry faces a broken business model and struggles for solutions, there are great opportunities to reshape journalism to serve people and the planet, following the traditions of the spirited independent journalists of the past and present. The curriculum for this should not only offer training for a job but also inspire a collective search for the values and ideas that can animate a just and sustainable society. We invite you to join us in this exciting time for journalism. By remembering the inspirational lessons of our past and facing honestly the problems of the present, we help make possible a new future in which justice and sustainability define not just our dreams but our lives.

A note to critics: Some might argue that this mission statement threatens to “politicize the classroom.” This kind of complaint is based on the naïve notion that a curriculum in the humanities and social sciences can be magically constructed outside of, and unaffected by, the distribution of wealth and power in the larger society. The choices that go into all teaching -- from the identification of relevant problems, to the selection of appropriate materials, to the analyses offered in lectures -- are based on claims about the nature of a good life and a good society. The important questions are whether instructors are open with students about how those choices are made and can justify those choices on intellectual grounds. In other words, there is a politics to all teaching, but good teaching is more than the assertion of one’s politics.

When a department constructs a curriculum that supports the existing distribution of wealth and power, challenges rarely arise. Perhaps the most politicized departments on any college campus are in the business school, where the highly ideological assertions of corporate capitalism are rarely challenged and the curriculum is built on that ideology. In a healthy educational institution with real academic freedom, we should encourage a diversity of approaches to complex questions. This mission statement identifies problems and suggests we consider the systemic and structural roots of those problems without asserting simplistic solutions. Such an approach honors the best traditions in journalism and scholarship, offering a path for struggling with difficult questions rather than dictating simplistic answers.

[Robert Jensen is a professor in the School of Journalism of the University of Texas at Austin and a board member of the Third Coast Activist Resource Center. His latest book is All My Bones Shake: Seeking a Progressive Path to the Prophetic Voice (Soft Skull Press, 2009). Jensen can be reached at rjensen@uts.cc.utexas.edu. His articles on The Rag Blog are here and his writing can also be found here.]

The Rag Blog


The Internet:
It's not a truck, It's a town square

The Internet is a platform for speech, debate, creativity. And it is neutral. And government has a role to play in making sure it stays that way.

By Senator Al Franken / October 7, 2009

As you know, I got to the Senate a bit late.

But I didn’t get here too late. Because we’re debating issues of major consequence right now -- health care, the economy, the course of the war in Afghanistan. And one of the issues you don’t hear about as much -- but one that will impact our lives, our economy and, yes, the future of music -- is Net Neutrality.

Several years ago, in the middle-to-late 90s, I went and gave a speech to the folks at DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. I remember asking what cool things they were working on.

One guy took me aside and told me he was working on an unmanned aerial vehicle the size of an insect. I was really excited about that, though I’m pretty sure it didn’t happen. But they did succeed in creating the ARPA-net forty years ago. And the ARPA-net grew into the Internet... which is almost as cool.

And today, the Internet is the town square. Thomas Jefferson famously said that given a choice between government without newspapers and newspapers without government, he “would not hesitate to prefer the latter.” If he were here today, I think he’d see the Internet in much the same light.

Now, fortunately, we don’t have to make that choice because the Internet is a platform for speech, debate, creativity. And it is neutral.

And government has a role to play in making sure it stays that way. Let me add that this is the fundamental political philosophy that I bring as a senator to so many of our national challenges. It’s not government’s job to make sure that everyone gets to the finish line, but government does have a role to play in making sure everyone can at least get to the starting line.

That’s how the Internet developed. The FCC treated the Web as a common carrier similar to the phone – meaning that anyone had the right to access it however they wanted so long as they weren’t breaking the law.

But as high-speed Internet became available, the cable and telecom industries convinced the FCC to change the rules -- to give corporate Internet service providers the power to use “network management” as code for “finding ways to squeeze more cash out of their networks.” As a result, the freedom and openness that are the Internet’s hallmarks are being seriously challenged.

Moving at the same speed

Right now, a blog loads just as quickly as a corporate Web page. An e-mail from your mother comes through just as smoothly as a bill notification from your bank. An independent bookstore can process your order as quickly as Barnes & Noble. A garage band can stream its songs just as easily as a multi-platinum superband like REM can.

But recently, business executives from top ISPs have declared their interest in offering “prioritized” Internet service to companies that can pay for it. In other words, a company like Microsoft or Amazon could pay for its content to be delivered over a high-speed network -- relegating a blogger or a mom-and-pop business to the slow lane.

That would transform the Internet from a free, open and competitive playing field into a “pay-for-play” arena in which citizen bloggers, nonprofits and small businesses are simply muscled out by major media conglomerates. That would transform the World Wide Web into a system of separate and unequal networks.

Censoring the Net

And it raises two major issues, as I see it.

First, it raises the issue of censorship. Once service providers are in the business of deciding what kind of content moves at what speed, they come very close to deciding what kind of content moves at all.

Second, this is about entrepreneurship and innovation. Great innovations only take place on an even playing field, where the little guys can go head-to-head with the big guys. If we change the rules of the game to benefit the big guys, innovation will suffer.

So the issue here isn’t only what might be blocked, but what might never be developed in the first place. Let me talk for a minute about each.

First, censorship. Take a look at Iran. In Iran, every Internet provider uses filters to control the Web sites and e-mails that users can access. They use a technology called “Deep Packet Inspection” to filter every e-mail, Facebook post and Tweet that anyone sends, and –- in real time – block content that’s deemed objectionable.

You might say, “Well, that’s a terrible situation, but it’s happening in Iran, and we are not Iran.” No, we’re not Iran, but that isn’t stopping several companies from taking the same or similar technology for a test drive.

First, you may remember that in 2007, Verizon refused to allow the pro-choice group NARAL to send text messages to its supporters – even though they had signed up to receive them. Verizon’s explanation was that it had the right to block “controversial or unsavory” messages. Like, for example, that a woman should have control of her reproductive system.

A second example: Comcast has used Deep Packet Inspection to block lawful peer-to-peer applications.

And you may remember that during a live Webcast of a 2007 Pearl Jam concert, AT&T killed the audio for a few beats. Turns out the missing lyrics were critical of President Bush.

ISPs want to profit from a closed Net

Stifling openness on the Internet isn’t always about censorship. In the future, it could simply be a product of business at work – of ISPs turning a profit. The chief technology officer for BellSouth recently said, “I can buy a coach standby ticket or a first class ticket... I can get two-day air or six-day ground.” He asserted that the Internet should be the same way.

The CEO of Verizon made the same point when he said, “We need to make sure there is the right economic model... we need to pay for the pipe.” And one provider proposed a system where consumers could pay a cheap monthly rate for light Internet use, a higher fee for heavier use... but with an exception for people who accessed only the content created by that network provider.

That’s a business motive, but it has the effect of limiting speech, and as far as I’m concerned, free speech limited -- or free speech delayed -- is the same as free speech denied. Because the truth is that the Internet is the town hall of the 21st century.

In the 1997 decision Reno v. ACLU, Justice Stevens wrote:

“Through the use of chat rooms, any person with a phone line can become a town crier with a voice that resonates farther than it could from any soapbox. Through the use of Web pages, mail exploders, and newsgroups, the same individual can become a pamphleteer.”

I serve on the Judiciary Committee, and on my fourth day in the Senate -- my first hearing on that committee -- we were dealing with the nomination of Judge (now Justice) Sonia Sotomayor.

I asked her specifically about whether she thought the American public has a compelling First Amendment interest in ensuring the Internet stays open and accessible. And if I could paraphrase her answer, it was “yes.” As noisy and messy as it may be, the Internet is a democracy. And because of that, it is a critical part of our democracy. But without strong legislation prohibiting ISPs from regulating content, that may not always be the case.

Let me add that among the people who would be hurt the most are rural users, who, like many in my home state of Minnesota, often only have access to a single ISP. If that rural ISP decides to favor or cut special deals with big companies -- or with the companies that ISP also owns –- then rural users would only receive the viewpoints that the ISP favors. ISP profit margins should never come at the cost of a free and open Internet.

The economic future of our country

While ISPs may benefit from a closed Internet, we all lose. And it’s not just the material that could be slowed or censored. It’s innovation itself.

In America, we think that an individual with a big idea is just as worthy of competing as a company with a big market share. But the loss of a neutral Internet means that the market is no longer competitive. It’s no longer a meritocracy.

Consider the case of YouTube. YouTube was founded in 2005 above a pizzeria in San Mateo, California. At the time, the most popular video application was something called Google Video -- an app that most people came to realize was slow and clunky.

Because it was so well designed, YouTube quickly gained a user base, and gradually overcame Google Video. As we know, Google actually bought YouTube and retired Google Video.

This all happened because YouTube and Google Video competed on the same playing field, accessed the same Internet, and, in a meritocratic system, consumers saw that YouTube was better. But in a world where Google could pay an ISP for “premium” access, Google Video could have secured priority status, leaving YouTube on a second-tier track. YouTube would have loaded too slowly to win viewers. We’d be stuck with Google Video.

Again, what’s at stake here isn’t just what could be taken away. It’s what could never be created in the first place.

The Internet has been a tremendous platform for innovation and entrepreneurship. Guaranteeing its continued success isn’t just about giving consumers better apps; it’s about the economic future of our country.

The FCC takes on Net Neutrality

Now, I know many of you in the music and entertainment industry are concerned about where Net Neutrality fits in with your efforts against piracy. Having spent much of my life as a writer and entertainer, I own copyrights, too, and I share your concerns.

But Net Neutrality is and must be explicitly a matter of protecting lawful content, applications and usage. Whether we do it through statute or regulation, ISPs must and will retain the right to combat unlawful usage of the Internet.

Now, how we do that technologically is an enormous question. You may remember when Sen. Ted Stevens insightfully pointed out that the Internet “is not something you just dump something on. It’s not a truck. It’s a series of tubes.”

In making that statement, I think Sen. Stevens illustrated why some members of Congress might not be the right people to answer this technological question. That’s why it is good news that the FCC is now taking the lead on this battle.

Recently, Chairman Julius Genachowski announced that the commission would be issuing pro-Net Neutrality regulations. The commission rules will emphasize nondiscrimination –- barring ISPs from favoring or disfavoring particular Internet content or applications –- and transparency, requiring ISPs to be open about their network management practices. And Genachowski’s right.

An ISP should not be able to prioritize certain traffic over other traffic. A company cannot pay to have a “fast track” over the Internet.

And we need to be serious about transparency. ISPs should have to disclose to consumers any practices that may affect communications between a user and an application, content or service provider. This ensures that when ISPs do take actions that slow down one content provider and speed up another, users will find out.

We also need to acknowledge that sometimes, it is citizens, and not the government, that are in the best position to protect the Internet. We need to empower Internet users to file complaints directly with the FCC, and to allow them to recover damages in certain cases.

Finally, and I think the FCC will agree with me on this one, we need to give the experts at the FCC the flexibility they need to solve this complicated problem.

So rest assured, even though Sen. Stevens is no longer here to lend us his “tube” expertise, I will be standing ready to work with knowledgeable leaders in Congress -- Sen. Dorgan, Sen. Snowe, Congressman Markey, and Congresswoman Eshoo -- to make sure we get it right.

For the first time, it looks like we might actually do this. The FCC is on board, and so are critical leaders in Congress.

Obama on Net Neutrality

In addition, President Obama has consistently voiced support for Net Neutrality. Recently, he put Net Neutrality at the top of his national innovation agenda. So although previous efforts to pass Net Neutrality have failed, we now have both a president and an FCC chairman who strongly support the cause.

This is not to say that this debate is over and won. Some of my colleagues have already introduced legislation to block Net Neutrality efforts. And just last week, a Washington Post editorial declared that “federal regulators should not be telling Internet service providers how to run their businesses,” and that Net Neutrality will “micromanage what has been a vibrant and well-functioning marketplace.”

Ignore for a moment the irony that a leading newspaper would come out against a bill whose purpose includes protection of free speech, and let me say that Net Neutrality is not a matter of needless government intervention. It is a necessary response to verifiable instances of ISPs discriminating against users based on the applications they use or the content they access, and of ISPs voicing their support for a separate and unequal Internet.

It is a 21st-century reiteration of one of our most important constitutional rights –- the right to free speech. And it doesn’t interfere with the free market. It protects the free market.

A century ago, President Teddy Roosevelt wrote, “Above all else, we must strive to keep the highways of commerce open to all on equal terms.”

He may have been writing in a different time, and addressing different technology, but his purpose is just as relevant today.

[From a speech delivered by Sen. Franken at the Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.]

Sen. Al Franken on keeping a neutral net





1 Make/read comments:

Alan L. Maki said...

Nothing is "neutral" under capitalism... money controls.

Franken is evading a most important question.

He points out that tax-payers have pretty much subsidized the development and building of the Internet... well, what tax-payers finance, tax-payers should own and control.

The sensible thing to do would be to place the Internet under the control and management of the United States Postal Service and make the United States Postal Service the one and only Internet Service Provider which would provide the American people with real affordable access to the Internet. Since one of the most widely used tools of those using the Internet is e-mail, this makes complete sense to bring the Internet under public control through the United States Postal Service... why should these corporations profit from the investments made by the United States tax-payers and then turn around and charge an arm and a leg for our access to this Internet?

This is the only way to assure web neutrality... public ownership is the key to good, reliable, affordable, democratic access to the World Wide Web by Americans.





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E-Mail Surveillance Renews Concerns in Congress

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/us/17nsa.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

June 17, 2009

E-Mail Surveillance Renews Concerns in Congress

By JAMES RISEN and ERIC LICHTBLAU

WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency is facing renewed scrutiny over the extent of its domestic surveillance program, with critics in Congress saying its recent intercepts of the private telephone calls and e-mail messages of Americans are broader than previously acknowledged, current and former officials said.

The agency’s monitoring of domestic e-mail messages, in particular, has posed longstanding legal and logistical difficulties, the officials said.

Since April, when it was disclosed that the intercepts of some private communications of Americans went beyond legal limits in late 2008 and early 2009, several Congressional committees have been investigating. Those inquiries have led to concerns in Congress about the agency’s ability to collect and read domestic e-mail messages of Americans on a widespread basis, officials said. Supporting that conclusion is the account of a former N.S.A. analyst who, in a series of interviews, described being trained in 2005 for a program in which the agency routinely examined large volumes of Americans’ e-mail messages without court warrants. Two intelligence officials confirmed that the program was still in operation.

Both the former analyst’s account and the rising concern among some members of Congress about the N.S.A.’s recent operation are raising fresh questions about the spy agency.

Representative Rush Holt, Democrat of New Jersey and chairman of the House Select Intelligence Oversight Panel, has been investigating the incidents and said he had become increasingly troubled by the agency’s handling of domestic communications.

In an interview, Mr. Holt disputed assertions by Justice Department and national security officials that the overcollection was inadvertent.

“Some actions are so flagrant that they can’t be accidental,” Mr. Holt said.

Other Congressional officials raised similar concerns but would not agree to be quoted for the record.

Mr. Holt added that few lawmakers could challenge the agency’s statements because so few understood the technical complexities of its surveillance operations. “The people making the policy,” he said, “don’t understand the technicalities.”

The inquiries and analyst’s account underscore how e-mail messages, more so than telephone calls, have proved to be a particularly vexing problem for the agency because of technological difficulties in distinguishing between e-mail messages by foreigners and by Americans. A new law enacted by Congress last year gave the N.S.A. greater legal leeway to collect the private communications of Americans so long as it was done only as the incidental byproduct of investigating individuals “reasonably believed” to be overseas.

But after closed-door hearings by three Congressional panels, some lawmakers are asking what the tolerable limits are for such incidental collection and whether the privacy of Americans is being adequately protected.

“For the Hill, the issue is a sense of scale, about how much domestic e-mail collection is acceptable,” a former intelligence official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because N.S.A. operations are classified. “It’s a question of how many mistakes they can allow.”

While the extent of Congressional concerns about the N.S.A. has not been shared publicly, such concerns are among national security issues that the Obama administration has inherited from the Bush administration, including the use of brutal interrogation tactics, the fate of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and whether to block the release of photographs and documents that show abuse of detainees.

In each case, the administration has had to navigate the politics of continuing an aggressive intelligence operation while placating supporters who want an end to what they see as flagrant abuses of the Bush era.

The N.S.A. declined to comment for this article. Wendy Morigi, a spokeswoman for Dennis C. Blair, the national intelligence director, said that because of the complex nature of surveillance and the need to adhere to the rules of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the secret panel that oversees surveillance operation, and “other relevant laws and procedures, technical or inadvertent errors can occur.”

“When such errors are identified,” Ms. Morigi said, “they are reported to the appropriate officials, and corrective measures are taken.”

In April, the Obama administration said it had taken comprehensive steps to bring the security agency into compliance with the law after a periodic review turned up problems with “overcollection” of domestic communications. The Justice Department also said it had installed new safeguards.

Under the surveillance program, before the N.S.A. can target and monitor the e-mail messages or telephone calls of Americans suspected of having links to international terrorism, it must get permission from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Supporters of the agency say that in using computers to sweep up millions of electronic messages, it is unavoidable that some innocent discussions of Americans will be examined. Intelligence operators are supposed to filter those out, but critics say the agency is not rigorous enough in doing so.

The N.S.A. is believed to have gone beyond legal boundaries designed to protect Americans in about 8 to 10 separate court orders issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, according to three intelligence officials who spoke anonymously because disclosing such information is illegal. Because each court order could single out hundreds or even thousands of phone numbers or e-mail addresses, the number of individual communications that were improperly collected could number in the millions, officials said. (It is not clear what portion of total court orders or communications that would represent.)

“Say you get an order to monitor a block of 1,000 e-mail addresses at a big corporation, and instead of just monitoring those, the N.S.A. also monitors another block of 1,000 e-mail addresses at that corporation,” one senior intelligence official said. “That is the kind of problem they had.”

Overcollection on that scale could lead to a significant number of privacy invasions of American citizens, officials acknowledge, setting off the concerns among lawmakers and on the secret FISA court.

“The court was not happy” when it learned of the overcollection, said an administration official involved in the matter.

Defenders of the agency say it faces daunting obstacles in trying to avoid the improper gathering or reading of Americans’ e-mail as part of counterterrorism efforts aimed at foreigners.

Several former intelligence officials said that e-mail traffic from all over the world often flows through Internet service providers based in the United States. And when the N.S.A. monitors a foreign e-mail address, it has no idea when the person using that address will send messages to someone inside the United States, the officials said.

The difficulty of distinguishing between e-mail messages involving foreigners from those involving Americans was “one of the main things that drove” the Bush administration to push for a more flexible law in 2008, said Kenneth L. Wainstein, the homeland security adviser under President George W. Bush. That measure, which also resolved the long controversy over N.S.A.’s program of wiretapping without warrants by offering immunity to telecommunications companies, tacitly acknowledged that some amount of Americans’ e-mail would inevitably be captured by the N.S.A.

But even before that, the agency appears to have tolerated significant collection and examination of domestic e-mail messages without warrants, according to the former analyst, who spoke only on condition of anonymity.

He said he and other analysts were trained to use a secret database, code-named Pinwale, in 2005 that archived foreign and domestic e-mail messages. He said Pinwale allowed N.S.A. analysts to read large volumes of e-mail messages to and from Americans as long as they fell within certain limits — no more than 30 percent of any database search, he recalled being told — and Americans were not explicitly singled out in the searches.

The former analyst added that his instructors had warned against committing any abuses, telling his class that another analyst had been investigated because he had improperly accessed the personal e-mail of former President Bill Clinton.

Other intelligence officials confirmed the existence of the Pinwale e-mail database, but declined to provide further details.

The recent concerns about N.S.A.’s domestic e-mail collection follow years of unresolved legal and operational concerns within the government over the issue. Current and former officials now say that the tracing of vast amounts of American e-mail traffic was at the heart of a crisis in 2004 at the hospital bedside of John Ashcroft, then the attorney general, as top Justice Department aides staged a near revolt over what they viewed as possibly illegal aspects of the N.S.A.’s surveillance operations.

James Comey, then the deputy attorney general, and his aides were concerned about the collection of “meta-data” of American e-mail messages, which show broad patterns of e-mail traffic by identifying who is e-mailing whom, current and former officials say. Lawyers at the Justice Department believed that the tracing of e-mail messages appeared to violate federal law.

“The controversy was mostly about that issue,” said a former administration official involved in the dispute.

Some thoughts about "e-democracy" and Obama's broadband boondoggle

Note: this is my response to some queries asking me why I think censorship is so prevalent with the business "e-democracy" which passes itself off as some kind of community service compliments of the philanthropic community and foundations.

I am surprised they haven't started holding "Un-democracy" forums, conferences and seminars.

The "e-democracy" groups have about as much to do with democracy as Mussolini had to do with founding the Red Aid Societies in Italy to help the victims of fascism.

No doubt the "e-democracy" moderators would have followed Tom Pain around taking down his broadsides condemning British occupation.

I think "e-democracy" has been established by a bunch of foundation people looking to make money off of Obama's broadband proposal.

Another bunch of bottom-feeders feeding at the public trough under the guise of promoting democracy--- e-democracy; or, electronic democracy.

I think "e-democracy" is the tool they established to build support for Obama's broadband proposal from which a few people will be making hundreds of thousands, millions and billions upon billions of dollars in everything from consultants to charging fees for broadband use.

What we see here is Democratic Party hacks like Marc Asch bringing pressure on people like Rick Mons to control the "discussions" on "e-democracy."

I will no longer make any posts to "e-democracy" groups because I won't lower myself to submitting to this kind of censorship in the name of moderation.

These "e-democracy" people are every bit as corrupt as the Democratic Party itself whose "leaders" have gone all out to prevent those of us pushing for peace, for single-payer universal health care, against the peat mining in the Big Bog and undermining efforts to halt the sulfide mining.

The "leaders" of the Democratic Party went to great lengths to remove me from the MN DFL State Central Committee representing Roseau County. They announce the date, time and place for the County Convention where the State Central Committee members are elected.

Well, come the day of the Roseau County DFL Convention and about 90 of us waited, and waited, and waited--- for almost two hours for someone to open the door to let us in... there was a sign on the door to the Roseau Electric Co-op's "Community Room" which said: Roseau County DFL County Convention Today at 9 A.M.

After two-hours, Lee Soltis, the County Chair, drives up and says... "I am so sorry. I forgot to take this sign down and put up the notice that we changed the location."

I tell you this, because this is the way the MN DFL operates. And, when they decide that some question, issue or person interferes with their agenda they go all out to censor and suppress their views and prevent them from participating in their "one big tent for all."

Marc Asch was part of a group in the MN DFL which got Yahoo to close down my e-mail; they tried to bully and badger my ISP to drop me (previously my then ISP, Wiktel--- admittedly--- participated in allowing the FBI and Homeland Security to monitor my e-mails).

The Internet is not this great big world of "democracy" it is cracked up to be.

What I find very ironic is that these people have come up with a name like "e-democracy" to hide their dirty deeds behind.

You will note that this Laura Waterman Wittstock who posted to this tea party discussion is one of the biggest and wealthiest supporters of the casino industry in the Democratic Party... and here she is, talking about human rights... brought into the discussion by Joan Vanhala the queen of the Foundation Philanthropists.

What about the human rights of 40,000 casino workers in Minnesota employed in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights under state or federal labor laws who are forced to sign statements that they will not engage in union organizing as a condition of keeping their jobs.

Does Laura Waterman Wittstock care one bit if these casino workers end up with agonizingly painful cancers and heart and lung problems the result of breathing second-hand smoke in these casinos day-in-and-day-out? What a phony shyster this Laura Waterman Wittstock is in milking the foundations and the philanthropists in the name of human rights.

If you haven't discovered how the MN DFL operates yet, the longer you are involved in the sulfide mining issue, the peat mining issue, socialized health care issue, peace and reordering priorities--- you will find out soon and become their target, too; and be treated in the same manner as the rest of us who refuse to play their dirty games where big money is the goal--- and make no mistake, the MN DFL is as corrupt as politics gets--- whether money from mining or money promoting broadband or casinos is involved, these people go after the money; the people, the environment and democracy be damned.

Rick Mons told me that he didn't find anything racist or anti-communist on the Minnesota Tea Party site when their site is so full of hate it is impossible not to see.

E-democracy has rejected about thirty of my postings now on a variety of topics.

I have a whole pile of e-mails here... 18 as of right now... from people who tried to post on this Tea Party topic responding for the first time and their posts were not allowed by Rick Mons. Most are just asking very pertinent questions without any of the rhetoric contained in my postings--- but, my postings are done in this way on this topic in order to engage these people--- and provoke them into stating their real motives--- in real debate.

This Rick Mons hides all of his censorship behind "it's not a Minnesota issue" and "no personal attacks;" pretty much catchalls for anything he wants to censor.

I find it really mind-boggling... the same people who yell, "personal attack" on e-democracy will go on these right-wing talk shows and quite literally call me every single name you can think of and then they come back to e-democracy and cry "personal attack."

If it is democratic dialog, discussion and debate you are seeking--- you won't be finding it on e-democracy... what you will be able to do is slip a few things in once and a while as you do... but, that will be about it... and I think that is really good you do this.

Anyways, this is my take on what is going on with e-democracy... it is nothing but a front for these corrupt Democrats to build a base to enable them to enrich themselves and their friends off of all the "broadband money" soon to be coming down the pike--- actually, some already is with the "stimulus" funds.

I wouldn't be surprised to find if there isn't a whole lot of money these people are already making off this e-democracy compliments of local, state and federal tax-payers; but, I don't have any research to prove it--- I just look at the kind of operation they have going and it reeks of some kind of government pork-barrel funding and is being handled in a very typical pro-business government way like any other pork-barrel funding.

I am guessing these kinds of boondoggles are going on across the country--- whether mining, forestry or broadband... these people are motivated by profits... nothing more. To them the destruction of democracy is no different than polluting a pristine river or your drinking water which will be the result of sulfide and peat mining.

E-democracy? More like another shady Bernie Madoff deal.

Alan L. Maki
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Check out my blog:

Thoughts From Podunk

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Response to another racist, weirdo in the Green Party

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Brian Melendez sends me an e-mail and now has a person on his staff deny that he sent it...

Thursday, January 22, 2009

An e-mail from Brian Melendez the head of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party.

Mr. Melendez who is the head of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party sent me this e-mail:

Mr. Maki,

Enough already.

Give Gaza a rest. Just let us enjoy our victory in electing Barack Obama.

You take up a cause and you try to push that cause down our throats. What don't you understand? We don't care about your diatribes about Gaza.

You started out demanding justice for casino workers claiming a little smoke is harmful to their health. Let them get another job if they don't like the opportunity we have given them. With you it is always demanding. Your list of demands is never ending.

You started with your casino workers. From there you went to demanding single-payer health care and this has turned into your demand for socialized health care because we didn't give you and your casino workers single-payer as soon as you demanded it.

You harp endlessly about Iraq.

Now you have taken up the cause of Palestinians and you are bashing our best friend and ally, Israel.

No, you aren't satisfied with taking up one of your issues at a time. Now you put them all together like they are related in some way and shove then all down our throats.

We are getting fed up with you. We have a big tent. Apparently our tent is not big enough for you and all your causes. Please pack up your tent and move elsewhere. Might I suggest you take your tent to Gaza.

Just leave us alone and give President Obama a chance.

Brian Melendez,Chair, MNDFL





My response:

Mr. Melendez,

Too many "causes: for you eh?

Well, how many different promises does the Democratic Party make to voters to get elected, which you conveniently ignore once elected.

For your information, all the "causes" I am involved in are related. These problems, you call them "causes," all stem from this rotten capitalist system.

Might I suggest that you move on... perhaps find yourself a job working in one of your beloved smoke-filled casinos.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council


Now the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party is denying this e-mail came from Brian Melendez but Melendez is silent; why?


Statement from the Minnesota DFL Party

The message above that supposedly came from Minnesota DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez is fictitious. Chair Melendez had no knowledge of it until a recipient called it to our attention. It does not reflect his views.

Please feel free to contact me via email at efought@dfl.org should you need more information.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Eric Fought
Associate Communications Director
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party




Well, if this is not the position of Brian Melendez as he stated his position in this e-mail to me, then, what are Melendez' position and the MNDFL's positions on the issues in question?

In fact, Brian Melendez has been engaged in a long-running series of attacks on me well documented even in the minutes of the DFL State Central Committee and other DFL memos and statements.

In fact, Melendez took it upon himself to lead what can only be described as a hate campaign against me which included harassing my Internet Service Provider and successfully got Yahoo to disable several of my e-mail accounts because I was "spamming." Melendez was fully aware at the time that not one thing I sent out was "spam."

Time and time again Melendez has targeted me with his arrogant and vicious attacks on me and then he turns around and claims, through his party hacks, he was not involved. I am not the only person Melendez plays these types of games with. This is the kind of politics Melendez thinks is so "cute."

This is all very easy and simple to clear up... the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party merely has to issue a statement as to where it stands on each of the issues Melendez brought forward in his letter to me.

Either Melendez was reflecting the official positions of the Minnesota DFL or he wasn't.

No one needs to speculate about anything... it is just as easy for the Minnesota DFL to simply state its positions on these issues as it is for Melendez to deny through another party hack that these are his positions.

So to Brian Melendez and the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party hacks my response to them is very simple: State your positions.

For the record; I would encourage Brian Melendez to make public everything referencing me that has been posted on the Minnesota DFL State Central Committee List Serve from which I was banned when I was an elected member of the MNDFL SCC for simply suggesting that there take place a discussion concerning Israel's behavior when it conducted its killing spree and rampage in Lebanon for the purpose of establishing a clear MNDFL position regarding U.S. military support to Israel. Melendez refused to place the issue for discussion at the State Central Committee meeting.

We have seen the same behavior towards many other people as we now see from Melendez towards me; time and time again over many years when the question of Israel comes up in the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party.

Again, no one wants to hear from a Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party hack the denial of Melendez' and the DFL's positions; we want to know what those positions are on the issues in question and it was to find out these answers that I publicly posted the letter from Brian Melendez clearly indicating the e-mail was to me... in fact, the e-mail is to all Minnesotans who now want to hear Melendez' positions on these issues... starting with the Israeli pogrom in Gaza.

It is interesting to me that Brian Melendez has conveniently ignored taking any firm stand on these issues and then chooses to play these kinds of games with people.

These issues clearly are easy to provide positions on... had the DFL had clear positions on these issues there would not be all this confusion now... very convenient for a person like Melendez who thinks he can say whatever he wants to someone and then hide behind the position, "This is not my position or the DFL's position."

Come on Brian, don't deny these are your positions... tell us what your positions are on these issues.

I am simply the wrong person for you to try "denying" you sent this e-mail to since there is now a long, long list of such e-mails to me and about me from you to many other people besides me; all written along similar lines in a similar bigoted vein and temper. Not to mention your similar person to person and phone calls and other e-mails you have made to many other people across the state and across the country about me.

Posted by Alan L. Maki at 6:24 PM




-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Maki [mailto:amaki000@centurytel.net]
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 9:35 PM
To: 'Tom Cleland'
Cc: efought@dfl.org; 'Elizabeth Dickinson'; 'John Kolstad'; 'Kip Sullivan'
Subject: RE: DFL denial of Melendez Gaza letter - Response Requested

Tom,

Yes, you are better off using your time in better ways.

You or anyone can make whatever you want out of this as I am sure you will.

Your motivation is very clear.

Alan Maki

Alan L. Maki
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Check out my blog:

Thoughts From Podunk

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/




-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Cleland [mailto:tomcleland@comcast.net]
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 5:14 PM
To: Alan Maki
Cc: efought@dfl.org; 'Elizabeth Dickinson'; 'John Kolstad'; 'Kip Sullivan'
Subject: Re: DFL denial of Melendez Gaza letter - Response Requested

Alan,

I already said you could look at my computer. I can't speak for anyone else. Other issues may be important, but the purpose of my inquiry was simply to get to the bottom of this one issue. I thought you would be excited to prove the email was authentic. I guess I was wrong.

I had forwarded the email to friends and family. Now I need to retract it. Drop me a line when you post a YouTube video of the email on your computer, or provide some other sort of solid evidence, and I will link to it.

Tom Cleland

----- Original Message -----
From: Alan Maki
To: 'Tom Cleland'
Cc: efought@dfl.org ; 'Elizabeth Dickinson' ; 'John Kolstad' ; 'Kip Sullivan'
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 9:50 AM
Subject: RE: DFL denial of Melendez Gaza letter - Response Requested

Tom,

You say,

“I have not spent a lot of time researching this, and I would like to avoid getting immersed in it right now.”

Well, you are the one interested in this so it is up to you to do the research… I am not your hired research assistant.

I am involved in issues of concern to me.

You have never written me with your concerns on any issues as far as I am aware. The Green Party, like the Democratic Party, has a very dismal record on many of the issues I am involved in so anything someone from the Green Party, like you, says about something like this is of little relevance to me.

I posted the letter as I received it.

What you say and do with this letter, or about me, is up to you.

I have seen this letter you refer to… so what about it?

I would not subject myself to your foolish request to examine my computer… perhaps I should make a similar request to examine your computer and all the computers of Green Party members who have had quite a bit to say about me via e-mails… some of which have been forwarded on to me… letters much worse than this one from Brian Melendez. I don’t make an issue out of these letters because the Green Party is of little significance in Minnesota any more.

My suggestion would be that you explain why the Green Party has refused to support efforts to save the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Plant; has been silent concerning the rights of casino workers to organize and on the issue of these anti-worker “Compacts;” why the Green Party has refused to support efforts to halt peat mining in the Big Bog.

I will tell you what: you can examine my computer when I can examine the computers of any Green Party members of my choosing to find out who Elizabeth Dickinson and Rhoda Gilman have been working with to sabotage these movements.

Let me close by providing you with another disgraceful example from a letter I received from John Kolstad who you supported for attorney general on the Green Party ticket that is written in the exact same vain as Brian Melendez’ letter (I have similar letters from Kip Sullivan with vicious red-baiting and from a variety of Democratic and Republican State legislators). Kolstad objected to my attacks on the Marty Health Care Bill… he said my attacks on this worthless health care bill of Marty’s somehow impugned the issues I am involved in. This is a most disgraceful kind of attack to suggest that the problems working people are experiencing are somehow not worthy of attention because of my stand in opposition to one piece of legislation.

I have no interest in “convincing you” of anything.

More to the point is that you and the Green Party share similar perspectives on most working class issues as the Democrats, and where I am concerned the Green Party has just as dismal record on most of the issues of concern to me as the Democratic Party and both the Green Party and the Democratic Party have worked in the same mean-spirited, dirty way to evade these issues.

Now, why would I be interested in working with anyone over a “letter” when we cannot work together on any of the issues?

And why would I even consider such a thoroughly stupid request to allow you access to my computers… do you also want access to my computers in Canada?

Previously, the FBI and Homeland Security seized my hard-drives and found nothing illegal or improper. And now you want access to my computers… don’t make me laugh.

Please feel free to share (post, etc.) this e-mail with anyone provided you do so in whole; including from your first correspondence.

By the way, how about we go through all the computers the Green Party activists have used to drum up this little campaign of support for Sen. John Marty’s pathetic excuse for health care “reform.”

And then you talk about how you will never be able to use me as a reliable source for information… and you use the racist, fascist David Icke as a “source” for information. Please, I implore you to not ever cite me as a source for anything because your association with the racist, anti-Semitic, fascist ideas of David Icke would cause people to challenge my credibility.

You go ask the Minnesota DFL to examine all of their computers… they are the ones who placed this hate campaign against me in motion… let’s see how far you get… lol! Then go ask Marc Asch and Mr. Hanson and Vivian Votova to examine their computers, too. Let me know there response. If I can be present when you do all these examinations of their computers you can call a press conference inviting the media to view while you conduct your examination of my computers… do you want to examine the library computers I use, too--- all over Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa? And the computers I use from various peace, civil rights and unions? What about all the servers involved?

Are there any other letters from other people I have published that you would like to verify, too? Perhaps from the casino managements and their attorneys or the threat from Brownstein/Hyatt/Farber/Schreck? What about the racist letter I received from Bob Walls, the International Rep for the International Association of Machinists; or the vulgar letter from a Mr. Skoog from the Teamster’s Union? Do you want to examine the authenticity of the hundreds of hate letters and e-mails I receive and have published?

Here is a suggestion for you: Why don’t you make a Freedom of Information Act request to the FBI and Homeland Security to find out what they found when they “examined” my computers?

You say you don’t have time to put much effort into this; and, yet, you make these ridiculous demands on me and waste my time over a letter that everyone knows is authentic.

Get a response from Brian Melendez not some “statement” issued by one of his hirelings to do his dirty work so Melendez can say his hands are so clean.

Perhaps I should have you examine my cell phone to find out who has made death threats against me, the Chisago County Sheriff’s Department doesn’t have a clue and the FBI and the United States Department of Justice refuse to assist them… since you are such a technology expert, let’s start with these death threats text messaged to me.

You are a real hoot… the FBI and United States Department of Justice admit to having wire-taps on my phone and monitoring my e-mails, my ISP has admitted the FBI sought their permission to monitor my e-mails… and now you want to examine my computers, too.

And by the way… do you have any concern about who has set up this most vicious and malicious blog maligning me:

http://rikijo.blogspot.com/2006/03/phase-iioperation-show-me-money.html

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.hackers.malicious/browse_thread/thread/a0ac2fbf3db936c0

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.hackers.malicious/browse_thread/thread/9f7236115f08f31a

http://rikijo.blogspot.com/2006/03/update-operation-show-me-money-casino.html

Kind of a strange coincidence these “blogs” about me started appearing after Kip Sullivan went postal on the MUHCC list serve controlled by Democrats and Greens after I attacked Mike Hatch and the Democrats and the Greens for trying to push phony health care schemes under the guise of health care reform.

Maybe you should ask Google to examine their computers and servers to find out who posted these hateful and malicious blogs full of lies about me.

Oh, yes, why don’t you ask John Kolstad and Kip Sullivan and Rhoda Gilman who Barbara Distasio is and what she was allowed to post on the MUHCC list serve about me? Kind of a strange coincidence.

You seem to have a very narrow focus in your concerns here; perhaps you would like to explain what motivates you? Perhaps your motives are somewhat other than your stated concerns?

I would also point out that Elizabeth Dickinson… a high profile member of the Green Party has e-mailed out a very vicious attack on the Palestinian liberation movement published by the New York Times suggesting that Palestinians are as responsible for their plight as are the Zionist butchers of Gaza. Let’s examine Ms. Dickinson’s computer to find out who put her up to this dirty work--- again.

You better make sure you have a whole lot of time if you want to take up my time with your stupid requests to examine my computers, and sleazy innuendos.

Alan

Alan L. Maki
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Check out my blog:

Thoughts From Podunk

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/




-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Cleland [mailto:tomcleland@comcast.net]
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 7:39 AM
To: Alan Maki
Subject: Re: DFL denial of Melendez Gaza letter - Response Requested

Alan,

I have not spent a lot of time researching this, and I would like to avoid getting immersed in it right now.

I have an email denial from Eric S. Fought, MNDFL Associate Communications Director. His email address is efought@dfl.org, which I don't think can be forged on my end. I would be willing to invite you and any other witnesses over here to look at it. Luckily the surrounding emails aren't too embarrassing, haha.

If I could personally look at your computer, that shouldn't take too long, and it would probably be enough to convince me, though I'll need to check with some techies to make sure the email address can't be forged. I am open to other evidence, but this seems to be the quickest and surest, and with witnesses, the most damaging to the DFL.

If you're not comfortable inviting people into your home, the next best thing might be links to Daily Kos or other sites that are public forums, and then I could try to verify what was said. I didn't see any live links that I could click from your blog.

By the way, I am no defender of Elizabeth Dickinson. Not all Greens are on the same page on various issues.

Tom
----- Original Message -----
From: Alan Maki
To: 'Tom Cleland'
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 10:50 PM
Subject: RE: DFL denial of Melendez Gaza letter - Response Requested

I don’t save dfl minutes… I have documented Melendez’ hate campaign against me very meticulously and very publicly.

I am no longer on the DFL State Central Committee so I don’t have access to this info.

You need to corroborate any of this independently from me if you need this “proof.”

There are literally hundreds of bigoted postings that were made on the DFL State Central Committee list serve including comments posted about me by Mike Erlandson, James Oberstar, and later Brian Melendez since 2000.

By the way, in order to push me out of the DFL SCC position I was repeatedly elected to by overwhelming votes with opposition coming from Walter Mondale, Matt Entenza and Mike Hatch… these people had to change the time and place of the Roseau County DFL Convention and they only notified a small group of people of the change and left over 90 of us sitting at the scheduled place at the scheduled time. And then the Chair drove by after they concluded their “secret” County Convention and said, “Oh, I am so sorry. The convention is over. I forgot to place the change of the time and meeting place on the door here.” This is the way these people operate.

It is amazing to me that Melendez’ closest associates initially just wrote this letter off as “Brian just got fed up with Maki and went off on him again. Maki knows how to push all of his buttons.” These kind of comments along with very right-wing bigoted comments were all posted on a Daily Kos blog. This was the initial defense from Melendez’ closest associates… it wasn’t until others started looking at this that they stood back and kind of said, “Whoa, we better come up with something better.” In fact, Melendez refused all comment initially and he still does. He assigned a low level party hack to issue this refutation in denying he wrote the letter… kind of strange Melendez refused to comment himself in making the denial. Previously Melendez has made the most vicious comments about me in State Central Committee meetings… only to later have these low level bureaucrats call me to apologize.

You can verify all of this by contacting any DFL county chairs, members of the SSC etc.

When Israel attacked Lebanon, I asked Melendez to place this issue on the SCC agenda… one member of the DFL SCC responded by saying, “You must be fucking an Arab bitch.” Many members of the DFL SSC started referring to me on the DFL SSC list serve as “anti-Semitic;” not knowing that I am Finnish-Jewish… so I started signing everything I wrote using Alan Sompolinsky-Maki.

Even your great Green Party leader Elizabeth Dickinson joined in these attacks on me.

Like I said, this is part of a very long hate campaign that began with Mike Erlandson and James Oberstar.

Oberstar called me names and called me a liar… this entire episode was video-taped by the U of M as part of last year’s “Freeman Forum on Water, Water everywhere.”

You can read some of the problems which I have documented on my blog:

http://mndfl.blogspot.com/

Melendez sending me this letter is one of his more “mild” dirty deeds. Him and two other guys, a Hanson and Marc Asch together with some ex-cop have attacked me without let-up.

I never thought this letter was going to create so much commotion at the time I circulated it. Had I known there was this kind of potential I would have held a press conference at dfl headquarters.

I am the only activist in the dfl who has consistently challenged this die-hard support for Israel so I have become kind of a lightning rod for their abuse.

Ask Charley Underwood how he has been treated… he doesn’t even have the guts to bring this issue forward inside the dfl. Or, ask Bill Hilty’s Legislative Assistant how these people attacked her so viciously at a DFL SCC meeting they made her cry. Melendez and these people are vicious. They will say or do anything to try to intimidate people.

My priorities are not to waste time on this letter from Melendez… I posted it and circulated it… if you or anyone else wants to make it an issue, fine. But, go to Melendez and make him “prove” what he is saying.

I never engaged in a hate campaign against him… the only thing I did that has enraged him is bring forward issues of concern to me… very legitimate issues that he resents me pushing the dfl to take positions on.

You know, I accused Melendez of being biased in favor of the Indian Gaming Industry after he made this comment at the dfl state convention in Duluth a four years ago: “I want to welcome our friends who operate and run the casinos to our convention.” Melendez that denied making this statement. At a SCC meeting following the convention I asked him why he didn’t consider casino workers friends of the mn dfl. In front of the entire SCC he stood there and denied making this remark. I played his remarks recorded from MPR for him to hear. He still denied saying what MPR had recorded… the whole thing was treated like a joke and a game.

To this day, the dfl refuses to do anything to right the injustices that casino workers have been subjected to… in fact, the Green Party has also refused to take up this issue and there are plenty of Green Party people who have been just as nasty to me for bringing these issues forward. Elizabeth Dickinson has been just as mean and nasty as Brian Melendez. She had the unmitigated nerve and gall to say in front of thirty or forty people at a fund-raising even on Summit Avenue that I had never discussed issues surrounding peat mining in the big bog or casino workers’ rights with her… an outright lie… I have letters from her and her husband on these issues. She is as big a liar as Melendez… feel free to show this e-mail to Dickinson, Melendez or anyone else.

So, I am not going to play this “prove it” game. I couldn’t care less who believes that Melendez wrote this letter or not. For all I know, he had some two-bit party hack write this letter for him just so he can stand back and say, “I didn’t write this letter.”

The fact is, Melendez has orchestrated a hate campaign against me and to me it seems logical that he wrote this letter.

By the way, I sent a copy of this e-mail to Melendez to confirm that he wrote it before I circulated it. He did not respond. I followed up with a phone call and left the message with the secretary for him to call me back and I left a message on his voice mail… he never called back. I made every possible effort to find out if he actually wrote this letter before circulating it because I found it to be so outrageous and stupid that I thought someone might be trying to instigate something with a letter like this… I concluded Melendez was the actual author of the letter--- or that he at least directed someone to write it and send it under his name.

I would further point out, in conclusion, that there is nothing in this letter which contradicts the policies and positions of the MN DFL and Democratic Party… so why is Melendez so concerned? You can contact any member of the DFL SCC who will tell you that there isn’t anything in this letter that Melendez has said over and over again to many people about me… so, what is the problem? In fact, most members of the DFL SCC thought the Melendez did a good job telling me off… they have applauded him for writing this dirty letter. Now that this letter has for some reason become a point of embarrassment they want to play this game of denial… If there had been no controversy they would still be patting Melendez on the back for “telling that commie off.”

You know, I don’t even understand why no one has taken Melendez to task for his bigoted campaign of hate against me before this… perhaps this says something about the cowardice of much of the left and progressive movement in Minnesota because this letter has been one of Melendez’ more mild attacks on me.

Alan L. Maki
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Check out my blog:

Thoughts From Podunk

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/




-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Cleland [mailto:tomcleland@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 9:40 PM
To: Alan Maki
Subject: Re: DFL denial of Melendez Gaza letter - Response Requested

I am not with the DFL. I would love nothing more than to nail them to the wall on this. But since they are in power, the onus is on us outsiders to come up with the evidence. I didn't bother to ask them for evidence because I would not expect them to comply. Besides, the presence of an email should be easier to prove than to disprove. I could accuse him of deleting it and it would be his word against mine.

Sorry if I sounded harsh, I'm just a fact-based kind of guy. If there's a handy link to the DFL minutes I'll take it.

Tom Cleland
----- Original Message -----
From: Alan Maki
To: 'Tom Cleland'
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 8:48 PM
Subject: RE: DFL denial of Melendez Gaza letter - Response Requested


Maybe suggest that the dfl open its computer system for your inspection… get real… there is a clear and steady stream of evidence Melendez is engaged in a hate campaign… including dfl minutes.

You are free to think whatever you want… you haven’t even raised your voice within the dfl against this Israeli killing spree.. if you did you would get the same shit I have been subjected to.

You don’t even have the courage to demand the same accountability from Melendez that you do from me.

I couldn’t care less what you think.



Alan L. Maki
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Check out my blog:

Thoughts From Podunk

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/




-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Cleland [mailto:tomcleland@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 6:39 PM
To: Alan Maki
Subject: DFL denial of Melendez Gaza letter - Response Requested

Alan,

The DFL is denying that Brian Melendez wrote this letter:

http://peaceandsocialjustice.blogspot.com/2009/01/e-mail-from-brian-melendez-head-of.html

I will keep an open mind if you can offer some sort of proof that the email was authentic. It might involve making your computer available to a filmed inspection, or working with your Internet Service Provider.

If I don't hear back from you, I will have to assume that the letter is fictitious as they say, and I will have to remove you from my list of trusted sources. I will plan to give it a few days, but I hope you will respond as soon as possible.

Tom

Why are some members of the Green Party upset with me?

During the last election, the Green Party ran a candidate for the Minnesota State Legislature... in the process of "supporting" Farheem Hakeem, Rhoda Gilman--- a muddle-headed middle-class intellectual who writes "coffee table books" about Minnesota history--- launched into a vicious racist attack against the Democratic Party candidate; an attack that had absolutely nothing to do with politics but everything to do with initiating a vicious, racist hate campaign.

I took Ms. Gilman to task for her racist bigotry and some members of the Green Party now claim that because what I publicly wrote I was responsible for their candidate losing... ever since then some of these Green Party members are looking for every little thing to attack me for... and, like the hate campaign they waged against their Democratic opponent... they never focus on issues of importance. But, this is what Minnesota politics has degenerated into... this is why I refer to Minnesota politics as a circus.

Well, you can read for yourself what this fruit-loop Tom Cleland is really so upset about... interesting he didn't put as much effort into condemning Rhoda Gilman's vicious racist attack against one of the best and most progressive DFL candidates who is now sitting in the Minnesota Legislature:

-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Maki [mailto:amaki000@centurytel.net]
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2008 11:57 AM
To: 'agarlan@hammclinic.org'; 'rhodagilman@earthlink.net'; 'birch7@comcast.net'; 'shove001@tc.umn.edu'; 'greenpartymike'; 'rhodagilman@earthlink.net'; 'ahancock.gp@gmail.com'; 'farheen@farheenhakeem.org'; 'kiprs@usinternet.com'; 'ddepass@startribune.com'; 'mmiron@bemidjipioneer.com'; 'riverlot@paulbunyan.net'; 'Charles Underwood'; 'John Kolstad'
Cc: 'sen.john.marty@senate.mn'; 'info@jamesmayer.org'

Subject: How much longer will the Green Party tolerate Rhoda Gilman's racism and anti-working class antics...

I refer to the posting in Shove’s Calendar…

If I wanted to be as arrogant as Rhoda Gilman I might start out by saying that her observations of Jeff Hayden are from an uncaring, feeble-minded, old, decrepit, white woman who has some space for rent upstairs.

I am speaking of her (Rhoda Gilman’s) characterization of Jeff Hayden--- who I have no political use for--- as: “Jeff is a nice, friendly guy, obese, and neither energetic nor very articulate.”

If this isn’t your typical arrogant middle-class racism, I don’t know what to call it. Rhoda Gilman has used the exact same arrogant way of thinking towards workers at the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant who she never bothered to consult with before deciding that she would “Green” them out of their jobs… of course, many of these Ford workers, like Jeff Hayden, are also people of color. Surprise, surprise but many of Minnesota’s thirty-thousand casino workers are also people of color whom Rhoda Gilman has never demonstrated one iota of concern for their plight of being forced to work in smoke-filled casinos without any rights what-so-ever.

What a truly despicable, demeaning and utterly racist way of describing anyone.

As for Kip Sullivan making the claim that the legislators and candidates--- yes, all Democrats--- as being for “single-payer” without stating whether or not they support H.R. 676 is preposterous given the fact that MUHCC has given up on calling the Marty legislation--- the Minnesota Health Act--- “single-payer” because the PNHP refuse to certify it as such.

Again, we find Rhoda Gilman and the Greens supporting this Minnesota Health Act when they have refused to endorse public ownership as a means to saving two-thousand jobs of Ford workers… who, by virtue of their union contract have better health care coverage than what would be provided by the Minnesota Health Act and which is much cheaper for them.

I would also point out, that while these supporters of the Minnesota Health Act which makes much about “preventative care” and “health education;” not a single supporter of this legislation is on record as opposing casino workers being forced and coerced to work in smoke-filled casinos… over 500,000 of Rhoda Gilman’s and Kip Sullivan’s fellow Minnesotans have been forced, at one time or another, to work in these smoke-filled casinos!

I wonder how it is that Rhoda Gilman finds it within her to refer to Jeff Hayden as “obese” and “neither energetic… nor articulate” with the same audacity as the most vicious and ruthless slave master; might Rhoda Gilman’s stance towards casino and Ford workers have more to do with her middle class racism which obviously clouds her thinking, than with sane, sensible and honest political strategy and tactics not to mention her arrogance towards working people?

I would hope that Farheen Hakeem has the moral and political courage to condemn Rhoda Gilman’s obvious and overt racist statements.

It wouldn’t hurt for Rhoda Gilman to publicly apologize to Jeff Hayden for her disgusting racist remarks, either.

I do think this gives us all a very good idea as to why the Green Party has had such difficulty attaining the votes of progressive Minnesotans. In fact, I think it is just such racist arrogance which is leading to the erosion of the Green Party’s credibility.

These very racist scribes by Rhoda Gilman who is known as a spokesperson, could easily sabotage Farheen Hakeem’s chances of being the first Green elected to the Minnesota State Legislature.

If I were Jeff Hayden, I would print up a picture of Rhoda Gilman and publish her quote under the title “Green Party Leader”… it would probably assure him a victory. But then again, Rhoda Gilman and Elizabeth Dickinson have always managed to sabotage Green campaigns for their friends in the Democratic Party.

Farheen Hakeem can now either demonstrate her leadership on this most important question of racism and distance herself from the pathetic and arrogant middle class racism of Rhoda Gilman or probably lose the election. Thank you Rhoda Gilman!

Rhoda Gilman should go back to her home in the corrupt, old, decrepit, racist and anti-worker Minnesota DFL where she can cling to the views of Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale.

I wonder how Rhoda Gilman’s good friend, the anti-communist bigot Kip Sullivan, feels about Rhoda Gilman’s racist scribes… they are probably as comfy as two rotten peas in a pod.

Alan L. Maki



--------9 of 15--------

From: David Shove
Subject: Single payer candidates DFL & Green

S I N G L E P A Y E R C A N D I D A T E S
DFL & GREEN
posts from:
1. Kip Sullivan
2. Farheen Hakeem
3. Allan Hancock
4. Rhoda Gilman
5. Diane Peterson
6. Rhoda Gilman
7. Amber Garlan
8. David Shove

=1=

Kip Sullivan provided the following list of leading DFL single payer candidates, all but one of them incumbents.

Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2008 18:38:16 -0500
From: Kip Sullivan
Subject: Single-payer candidates

Minnesota Health Reform Caucus leaders

The Minnesota Health Reform Caucus is a group of approximately 20 state legislators who are leading the campaign for the Minnesota Health Act (the single-payer bill in the Minnesota Legislature). The MHRC was founded in July 2007.

Sixty of Minnesota's 201 legislators (all DFLers) are coauthors of the Minnesota Health Act. So there are, on paper, at least 60 single-payer supporters in the Legislature. But the leaders of the campaign for the MHA are the ones who need recognition and support.

Rep. David Bly, Northfield (cofounder of the Mn Health Reform Caucus with Reps. Madore and Laine, co-chair of the MHRC; first-term, swing district)

Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, Winona (first-term, swing district; co-chair of the MHRC)

Rep. Carolyn Laine, Columbia Heights (first term; cofounder)

Rep. Shelley Madore, Apple Valley (first term; cofounder; swing district)

Rep. Ken Tschumper, Caledonia (first term; swing district; chief author of the single-payer bill [the Minnesota Health Act] in the House)

Rep. Tina Leibling, Rochester (swing district)

Rep. Alice Hausman, St. Paul

Sen. John Marty, Roseville (chief author of the Minnesota Health Act in the Senate)

Sen. John Doll, Burnsville (first term; swing district)

Sen. Mary Olson, Bemidji (first term; swing district)
-
Jeff Hayden, DFL nominee for 61B

--end Kip--


GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES
=2=

From: farheen@farheenhakeem.org

I publicly commit to Single Payer Universal Health Care and I am from a party that is part of MN Universal Health Care Coalition.

Farheen Hakeem District 61B Green Party endorsed


=3=

From: Allan Hancock

I have already submitted my name to this question in the past. I am committed to a single payer health care. We should state it as a publicly paid, privately run health care plan.

Allan Hancock, Candidate
State Representative District 46B

=4=

From: Rhoda Gilman

All of the Green Party legislative candidates endorse single-payer and the Marty bill. (Farheen Hakeem, 61B; Allan Hancock, 46B; Colin Lee, 36A)

FYI, I have raised a ruckus about MUHCC [MN Universal Health Care Coalition] appearing to endorse Jeff Hayden. Lisa Nilles agreed to speak as an individual and did not realize that she would be billed as a representative of MUHCC. She has promised to announce that the coalition is nonpartisan and that Farheen Hakeem also supports the Minnesota Health Plan. That, of course, doesn't counter the flyers that have gone out all over the district.

I attended the candidates' debate on Saturday at Sabathani Center. There was no question about the winner. Farheen is vigorous and brimming with ideas;

Jeff is a nice, friendly guy, obese, and neither energetic nor very articulate.

The Republican didn't bother to show up. The audience was small, but it included some interesting people. One of them was Linda Berglin.

=5=

From: Diane J. Peterson

Linda Berglin! The main opposition to comprehensive health care reform attended the Hakeem/Hayden forum on Saturday! Did she express anything, either verbally or nonverbally? It doesn't matter if the audience was small if it contained this most important Legislator whose influence over our health care slavery to the "insurers" is enormous.

What was the flavor of her presence? Can it be supposed she was checking out how formidable Farheen will be pushing the progressive envelope when she wins the 61B seat?

Agog,
Diane J. Peterson White Bear Lake, Minnesota birch7@comcast.net


=6=

From: Rhoda Gilman

She came and went very quietly. It is, after all, her Senate district, and she obviously knew a number of people in the audience. The whole program was based on questions from the audience, but they were submitted in writing beforehand. No one spoke from the floor. Farheen acknowledged Linda's presence, however.

In 1972 Linda and Phyllis Kahn were among the handful of radical young women carried into the legislature by the growing wave of feminist revolt. They are both still there, 36 years later. They have been leaders on a number of issues, and they deserve respect, but they are also remnants of an earlier time, and I wish they would retire gracefully.


=7=

From: Amber Garlan

I am the write-in candidate against Rep. Betty McCollum for single payer health care. Rep. Betty McCollum is in a very safe seat, and she is very complacent. Rep. Betty McCollum is not listening to her constituents when they ask her to endorse H.R. 676, the single payer bill written by Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

We are trying to get her attention.

Peace, Amber


=8=

From: David Shove

Amber Alert!

Don't Vote Betty
Vote Amber!

Set a RED light to stop HMO swindles!
Set a GREEN light for Single Payer Health Care NOW!
Vote AMBER to bring about these signal changes!


Alan L. Maki
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Check out my blog:

Thoughts From Podunk

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Hatemongers use "Daily Kos" to wage their campaign of hate which is conducted just like the Israeli pogrom in Gaza

I find it very interesting the way these hatemongers work... the same as the way Israel orchestrated its pogrom in Gaza.

Judging from the number of people, like myself, who have spoken out across the country (and in many other countries) who are now under attack for speaking out against the Israeli atrocities in Gaza it becomes very obvious that all of this was well planned way in advance.

Just as the Israelis intentionally singled out for attack Palestinian children and their mothers in Gaza... then denied they were doing this and then hired a team of lawyers to defend their leaders and soldiers against charges of crimes against humanity... so to are Israel and its supporters waging the same kind of political attacks... dirty, racist letters are sent out to people, then there is denial of these dirty deeds.

Any thinking person can see from reading these "comments" posted on the "Daily Kos" that there is a well coordinated campaign of hate against me personally... but, this is multiplied many fold across this country and across the world in the same kind of well orchestrated campaign that targets individuals.

You have to hand it to Israel and its backers, among whom are the Democrats and Republican Parties, they could have taught Hitler a thing or two about how to get away with carrying out a pogrom in full view of the world and then instigating a campaign of hate against those speaking out in solidarity with the victims of their dirty deeds.

The American people have been had in more ways than one by this reactionary, war mongering Israeli government... first Democrats and Republicans subsidize Israel's atrocities against the Palestinian people using our hard-earned tax-dollars... and now our democracy is being subverted by these hate-mongers to boot... talk about "being had"... this is "being had."

These worthless politicians and their political hacks are now going to give Israel another thirty-billion dollars to finance who knows how many more pogroms against the Palestinian people and these same politicians tell us--- those of us paying the bill--- that there is no money for things like public education and socialized health care.

My response to all of this is posted at the very bottom--- just read how these "comments" seethe with hate; and then after they get done spewing their vicious hate, in comes a party hack to deny Brian Melendez ever sent me the letter--- quite the approach to waging a hate campaign:


head of MNDFL: "take your tent to Gaza"

by llama taboot

Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:07:44 PM PST

The head of the MN DFL tells an organizer to "give gaza a rest", stop worrying about Iraq, health care, or labor issues, and just enjoy our victory in electing Obama, and then asks him to "take his tent elsewhere." Is this acceptable behavior from one of our state leaders?

llama taboot's diary :: ::

Alan Maki has been a longtime activist and organizer in Minnesota, and is currently the Director of Organizing for the Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Committee.

I would like to quote, in its entirety, an email sent to him today by Mr. Brian Melendez, the head of the MN DFL.

Mr. Maki,

Enough already.

Give Gaza a rest. Just let us enjoy our victory in electing Barack Obama.

You take up a cause and you try to push that cause down our throats. What don't you understand? We don't care about your diatribes about Gaza.

You started out demanding justice for casino workers claiming a little smoke is harmful to their health. Let them get another job if they don't like the opportunity we have given them. With you it is always demanding. Your list of demands is never ending.

You started with your casino workers. From there you went to demanding single-payer health care and this has turned into your demand for socialized health care because we didn't give you and your casino workers single-payer as soon as you demanded it.

You harp endlessly about Iraq.

Now you have taken up the cause of Palestinians and you are bashing our best friend and ally, Israel.

No, you aren't satisfied with taking up one of your issues at a time. Now you put them all together like they are related in some way and shove then all down our throats.

We are getting fed up with you. We have a big tent. Apparently our tent is not big enough for you and all your causes. Please pack up your tent and move elsewhere. Might I suggest you take your tent to Gaza.

Just leave us alone and give President Obama a chance.

Brian Melendez,Chair, MNDFL

You can find a link to this here:
alan maki's peace and social justice blog

Might I suggest to the esteemed head of the DFL that in fact the slaughter in Gaza, the "endless harping about Iraq", workers' rights and debates about health care and the socialization of health care are, in fact, issues for progressives to take a stand on.

I hope against hope that this email is a hoax or that Brian Melendez left his email password in Rush Limbaugh's trashcan on accident. I would hope that the head of the MNDFL would not write such ludicrous statements and suggest someone "takes their tent to Gaza."

Want to tell Mr. Melendez how you feel about his email?

bmelendez@faegre.com
bmelendez@dfl.org

office: 612-766-7309

(I'm not publishing any private information here folks, that is all on the web under his work page and the DFL page)

Tags: MN DFL, Gaza, Brian Melendez, Big Tent (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions



Permalink | 25 comments


Comments: Expand Shrink Hide (Always) | Indented Flat (Always)

Daily Kos Help


· first diary - tipjar/flamejar (9+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

mattman, bjornmmcc, capelza, kaliope, ferallike, jimbobb, rainmanjr, Milawe, Conure

~nt~

by llama taboot on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:08:34 PM PST

· Alan MAKI and he's talking about I/P? I think (2+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

burrow owl, harrylimelives

you've been hoaxed by Israeli Communist Party

"I gotta rec that sh*t, even though it is completely tasteless and rude."

by DemocraticLuntz on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:12:30 PM PST

· errr....no (2+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

mattman, jimbobb

http://alanmaki.blogspot.com/

by llama taboot on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:18:55 PM PST

o And again, I'm guessing this persona was (6+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

burrow owl, theran, harrylimelives, Mia Dolan, Corwin Weber, charliehall

created by the Israeli Communist Party in conjunction with the Lizard People, who are known to be active in Northern Minnesota.

"I gotta rec that sh*t, even though it is completely tasteless and rude."

by DemocraticLuntz on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:20:10 PM PST

[ Parent ]

§ perhaps (0+ / 0-)
just go back to david icke's site if you are utterly unconcerned that the chair of one of our state parties would poopoo Gaza and insult a labor organizer in the name of celebrating "our victory"?

(and in general behave completely unprofessionally - even if someone is an insulting crank - I don't have the original email sent by Mr. Maki that this was a response to - one would expect those that are the public face of the Dems to behave with some common decorum)

confused as to whether you actually think this is not worth talking about or i'm missing some late night surrealist humor......

by llama taboot on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:27:54 PM PST

[ Parent ]

§ Are you seriously unaware that the Lizard People (4+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

harrylimelives, Mia Dolan, charliehall, lkwdB

are active in Northern Minnesota?

"I gotta rec that sh*t, even though it is completely tasteless and rude."

by DemocraticLuntz on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:29:19 PM PST

[ Parent ]

§ well.... (0+ / 0-)
they did get at least one vote

by llama taboot on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:32:50 PM PST

[ Parent ]

· I will call tomorrow (1+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

sistersilverwolf

and see if he owns up to it. If he does, he should find another job.

Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity. Horace Mann (and btw, the bike in kayakbiker is a bicycle)

by Kayakbiker on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:26:54 PM PST

· Nutjob alert (0+ / 0-)
Brian Melendez is an outstanding party chair. I seriously doubt that if this email came from him, but if it did, this Maki guy must have been seriously harassing him.

This is from Maki's blog

Because of my outspoken views for peace and social justice I am now the target of the most vicious restraining order ever issued in Minnesota since the days of Joe McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts that robbed the working people of Minnesota of its strongest voices and best fighters for peace and social justice. This witch-hunt now involves Homeland Security Forces who not only viciously attacked me as they ran roughshod over my Constitutional Rights... but also attacked my dog and made my dog suffer.

This is a Democratic website and Maki isn't a Democrat. Take this crap somewhere else.

by Mia Dolan on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:32:25 PM PST

o In Soviet Minnesota, dog attack YOU!!!! (2+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

theran, Mia Dolan

"I gotta rec that sh*t, even though it is completely tasteless and rude."

by DemocraticLuntz on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:36:27 PM PST

[ Parent ]

o errr.... (0+ / 0-)
Actually he is an elected member of the DFL State Central Committee --

perhaps a cranky socialist, but an elected member of the Dems

and I fail to see, even as a response to harassing emails from a socialist, a freeper, or ralph nader himself -- how Mr. Melendez's response would be appropriate.

by llama taboot on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:40:50 PM PST

[ Parent ]

§ We all fail to see it (2+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

burrow owl, Mia Dolan

because you have not been able to provide any context to the discussion. Exactly how much crap did Melendez take from Maki before he went off?

And yes it matters, people do have limits.

by 1918 on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:45:04 PM PST

[ Parent ]

§ I don't know... (0+ / 0-)
I was forwarded this from the Jews for the End of the Occupation listserv and it has started popping up on various MN activist blogs.

I would welcome more backstory, explanation, or hopefully - outright refutation

Of course it sounds to me like Mr. Maki is a cranky communist (though probably nice to grab a cup of coffee and discuss social theory with) - still not appropriate for a State Party chair to write - in an email no less, which can shoot around the tubes in a second or two - such unprofessional and unprogressive stuff IMHO

by llama taboot on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:50:10 PM PST

[ Parent ]

§ Whats your email address? (2+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

DemocraticLuntz, Mia Dolan

I just got an email authorizing me to accept fifty billion bucks from the prince of Nigeria,it all sounded very interesting ,definitely diary worthy imho.

The monkey's dead, the show's over ... sue ya

by lkwdB on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 10:41:05 PM PST

[ Parent ]

§ Well (1+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

harrylimelives

If Melendez sent this email, this guy must really have made himself a pain in the ass. Melendez is a great party chair and Maki is a piece of garbage - a liar, a smear artist, and most certainly not a Democrat. It is a sad state of affairs if this guy got elected to the Central committee.

Go troll somewhere else.


by Mia Dolan on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:53:39 PM PST

[ Parent ]

§ not trolling (0+ / 0-)
just passing on an email that is making its rounds around both the lefty Jew and MN activist communities.

Do you know this guy personally, or have you just decided that because you like Melendez and he doesn't like him, he must be trash?

Like I said, I don't care if the guy is the trolliest troll on the planet, 1) it's not professional behavior and 2) workers rights, the I/P conflict, and healthcare are all legitimate issues for progressive Dems to discuss and take stands on - even if by your standards this Maki fellow isn't one of them.

I deal with pains-in-the-ass every day in my job, many of whom are downright obnoxious, doesn't mean I can suddenly snap and dump my coffee over their head.

by llama taboot on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 10:02:30 PM PST

[ Parent ]

§ No (1+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

harrylimelives

I had never heard of Maki until I read your diary, but I formed an opinion after reading his blogs. The outrage shouldn't be Melendez's email, but that a piece of shit like Maki has an official role with the DFL.

Of course you haven't bothered to read what Maki is all about or tried to find out what the backstory is. And the problem clearly isn't the issues, but the way Maki has presented them. Clearly, though, the whole story and even truth is not something you are interested in. You are a troll and a bottom feeder.

by Mia Dolan on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 10:11:13 PM PST

[ Parent ]

§ not about whether Maki is a jerk or a crank (1+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

lysias

like I said, I could care less about Maki, only about whether the email from Melendez is true or not.

It's either true, in which case it is a completely unprofessional slip at best, or it's not. I suspect we will find out sometime tomorrow since it has already shown up in my inbox from three local listservs.

--

You seem awfully fired up for no particular reason that there is a socialist in the DFL - in which case you might want to learn a little bit about what a large part of the "farmer-labor" part of the DFL was - or, based on your past comments, maybe the reference to I/P set you off, or perhaps you just really really like Melendez...

not sure, but there's really no reason to be attacking me here.

by llama taboot on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 10:28:39 PM PST

[ Parent ]

§ No (0+ / 0-)
I am attacking you because you are a sleazy fucking liar. There is nothing in Melendez's email to suggest that Gaza isn't an appropriate topic of discussion - clearly the problem is that Maki was beating it to death. The extent that the email is unprofessional depends on the context, which is completely absent from your diary.

And my problem isn't with the liberal elements of the DFL. Maki is a liar and a nutjob who is not really even a Democrat.

Do you know what the fallout is going to be from this? Nothing. Because Maki is a douchebag for sending around this email. And because only scumbags like yourself care.

Why don't you try the Drudge report, troll.

by Mia Dolan on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 07:43:29 AM PST

[ Parent ]

§ not very nice Mia (0+ / 1-)
Hidden by:

Mia Dolan

referring to Israel as our "best friend" pretty much lets it be known that Mr. Melendez doesn't think it is a Democratic duty to support a sane peace process.

You are unhinged, and represent the worst of this site, and why I held off posting here so long. A review of your comment history shows a lot of LOLs and You Are Stupids, without a lot of substance. Maybe it is you that should o back to the Drudge Report.

by llama taboot on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 11:58:28 AM PST

[ Parent ]

§ LOL (0+ / 0-)
Lets recap. This asshole harasses Melendez until Melendez goes off on him in an email. Then you post the that email on a blog without any context. What a total douchebag move. Did you think anyone would care? What a fucking joke. This was so lame that the conservative blogs - the only ones who might be interested in your bottom feeding tactics - didn't care either.

Melendez is a great party chair. The fact you think calling Israel our best friend means he doesn't care about peace just shows what a delusional loser you are.

by Mia Dolan on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 05:42:49 PM PST

[ Parent ]

· There's gotta be a back story here (4+ / 0-)
Recommended by:

burrow owl, DemocraticLuntz, Mia Dolan, charliehall

the Email seems very unprofessional, the maki snips here seem tin foily...

I don;t think this is the forum for what seems to be a bit of personal stupidity (probably on both parties if this isn't a put on.

"you have the right to your own opinion. You do not have the right to your own facts" -Daniel Patrick Moynihan

by SteveP on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:44:45 PM PST

· I don't think so (0+ / 0-)
I hope against hope that this email is a hoax or that Brian Melendez left his email password in Rush Limbaugh's trashcan on accident.

Melendez's email sounds pretty much like every Dem Party honcho I've ever known.

Stealth fighting radical!

by ActivistGuy on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 11:43:29 PM PST

· Both Franken and Coleman appeared at a pro-Israel (0+ / 0-)
rally in MN at the height of the Gaza fighting.

The influence of the [executive] has increased, is increasing, and ought to be diminished.

by lysias on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 07:03:23 AM PST

· Statement from the Minnesota DFL Party (0+ / 0-)
The message above that supposedly came from Minnesota DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez is fictitious. Chair Melendez had no knowledge of it until a recipient called it to our attention. It does not reflect his views.

Please feel free to contact me via email at efought@dfl.org should you need more information.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Eric Fought
Associate Communications Director
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

by efought on Sat Jan 24, 2009 at 09:47:07 AM PST

Permalink | 25 comments



My response:

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Brian Melendez sends me an e-mail and now has a person on his staff deny that he sent it...

Thursday, January 22, 2009

An e-mail from Brian Melendez the head of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party.

Mr. Melendez who is the head of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party sent me this e-mail:

Mr. Maki,

Enough already.

Give Gaza a rest. Just let us enjoy our victory in electing Barack Obama.

You take up a cause and you try to push that cause down our throats. What don't you understand? We don't care about your diatribes about Gaza.

You started out demanding justice for casino workers claiming a little smoke is harmful to their health. Let them get another job if they don't like the opportunity we have given them. With you it is always demanding. Your list of demands is never ending.

You started with your casino workers. From there you went to demanding single-payer health care and this has turned into your demand for socialized health care because we didn't give you and your casino workers single-payer as soon as you demanded it.

You harp endlessly about Iraq.

Now you have taken up the cause of Palestinians and you are bashing our best friend and ally, Israel.

No, you aren't satisfied with taking up one of your issues at a time. Now you put them all together like they are related in some way and shove then all down our throats.

We are getting fed up with you. We have a big tent. Apparently our tent is not big enough for you and all your causes. Please pack up your tent and move elsewhere. Might I suggest you take your tent to Gaza.

Just leave us alone and give President Obama a chance.

Brian Melendez,Chair, MNDFL





My response:

Mr. Melendez,

Too many "causes: for you eh?

Well, how many different promises does the Democratic Party make to voters to get elected, which you conveniently ignore once elected.

For your information, all the "causes" I am involved in are related. These problems, you call them "causes," all stem from this rotten capitalist system.

Might I suggest that you move on... perhaps find yourself a job working in one of your beloved smoke-filled casinos.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council


Now the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party is denying this e-mail came from Brian Melendez but Melendez is silent; why?


Statement from the Minnesota DFL Party

The message above that supposedly came from Minnesota DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez is fictitious. Chair Melendez had no knowledge of it until a recipient called it to our attention. It does not reflect his views.

Please feel free to contact me via email at efought@dfl.org should you need more information.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Eric Fought
Associate Communications Director
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party




Well, if this is not the position of Brian Melendez as he stated his position in this e-mail to me, then, what are Melendez' position and the MNDFL's positions on the issues in question?

In fact, Brian Melendez has been engaged in a long-running series of attacks on me well documented even in the minutes of the DFL State Central Committee and other DFL memos and statements.

In fact, Melendez took it upon himself to lead what can only be described as a hate campaign against me which included harassing my Internet Service Provider and successfully got Yahoo to disable several of my e-mail accounts because I was "spamming." Melendez was fully aware at the time that not one thing I sent out was "spam."

Time and time again Melendez has targeted me with his arrogant and vicious attacks on me and then he turns around and claims, through his party hacks, he was not involved. I am not the only person Melendez plays these types of games with. This is the kind of politics Melendez thinks is so "cute."

This is all very easy and simple to clear up... the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party merely has to issue a statement as to where it stands on each of the issues Melendez brought forward in his letter to me.

Either Melendez was reflecting the official positions of the Minnesota DFL or he wasn't.

No one needs to speculate about anything... it is just as easy for the Minnesota DFL to simply state its positions on these issues as it is for Melendez to deny through another party hack that these are his positions.

So to Brian Melendez and the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party hacks my response to them is very simple: State your positions.

For the record; I would encourage Brian Melendez to make public everything referencing me that has been posted on the Minnesota DFL State Central Committee List Serve from which I was banned when I was an elected member of the MNDFL SCC for simply suggesting that there take place a discussion concerning Israel's behavior when it conducted its killing spree and rampage in Lebanon for the purpose of establishing a clear MNDFL position regarding U.S. military support to Israel. Melendez refused to place the issue for discussion at the State Central Committee meeting.

We have seen the same behavior towards many other people as we now see from Melendez towards me; time and time again over many years when the question of Israel comes up in the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party.

Again, no one wants to hear from a Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party hack the denial of Melendez' and the DFL's positions; we want to know what those positions are on the issues in question and it was to find out these answers that I publicly posted the letter from Brian Melendez clearly indicating the e-mail was to me... in fact, the e-mail is to all Minnesotans who now want to hear Melendez' positions on these issues... starting with the Israeli pogrom in Gaza.

It is interesting to me that Brian Melendez has conveniently ignored taking any firm stand on these issues and then chooses to play these kinds of games with people.

These issues clearly are easy to provide positions on... had the DFL had clear positions on these issues there would not be all this confusion now... very convenient for a person like Melendez who thinks he can say whatever he wants to someone and then hide behind the position, "This is not my position or the DFL's position."

Come on Brian, don't deny these are your positions... tell us what your positions are on these issues.

I am simply the wrong person for you to try "denying" you sent this e-mail to since there is now a long, long list of such e-mails to me and about me from you to many other people besides me; all written along similar lines in a similar bigoted vein and temper. Not to mention your similar person to person and phone calls and other e-mails you have made to many other people across the state and across the country about me.

Posted by Alan L. Maki at 6:24 PM