Red Sox Win World Series

Dad, they won.

The Red Sox are the 2004 World Series Champions.

Now I can raise my son to be a Red Sox fan and not feel bad about it.

The Sports Guy, as always, has a good grasp on things.

Note: The Patriots are still undefeated. Go Pats!

Day Side w/ Linda Vester

Michael Badnarik, the presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party will appear today on non other than the Fox News Network's daytime talk show Day Side with Linda Vester. Fox News up until now has had an unwritten policy on even mentioning Badnarik's name. He was canceled from the O'Reilly Factor just hours before he was to go on and guests on the show that endorce Badnarik were instructed to not mention his name on air. The Badnarik campain purchased air time from Fox to run commercials during this last week before election. Coincidence? I think not.

Day Side w/ Linda Vester
Tuesday, October 26 @ 1:00pm [ET]
Topic: Polling - Michael Badnarik’s effect on the polls

Greater Albuquerque DirecTV subscribers will find the show on Fox News Channel 360 at 11:00am. Be sure to watch.

The Case for Badnarik

A great article at Atlasphere:

If George Bush or John Kerry represents your basic values, vote for them. Name a child after them. But don’t waste your vote voting against one of them. Many who voted against Gore now regret their vote for Bush. Many who vote against Bush in 2004 will be embarrassed to have voted for Kerry.

...

You owe it to yourself to go to www.lp.org and to read the Libertarian Party platform and other current articles. Then check out www.badnarik.org to learn more about Mr. Badnarik and his views. If you see that his positions and his reasoning are closer to your values that either of the duopoly candidates, then do the straightforward and sensible thing: vote for him.

If Mr. Badnarik received five percent of the vote, would it matter whether Bush or Kerry was elected? The answer is no because the whole political establishment would be shaken to its foundations. The decisions of the president would be influenced by that pro-liberty five percent. Media attention would be directed toward limited government solutions. It might be the beginning of a virtuous cycle.

The votes for Michael Badnarik measure how many adults in the United States value limited government and respect for individual rights more than all of the hoopla and manipulation. This is a number that professional politicians watch carefully. The Libertarian Party is our yardstick measuring success in the battle for political liberty.

Read the whole article here.

Red Sox Up 2-0 in WS

The Red Sox go to St. Louis Tuesday, Wednesday and if needed, Thursday, to try and clinch the World Series Title. It's been an exciting couple of nights, and the Boston boys even took a break from sending me into fits of anxiety approaching cardiac arrest like they did for four games in the ALCS. Curt Schilling has been awesome. You couldn't ask anything more from him, and we may not be able too since he's probably finished. Like all true Red Sox fans are, I'm worried yet hopeful. As always, here's The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons:

Curt Schilling was working on a four-hitter with the aid of painkillers, sutures, staples, rubber bands, Crazy Glue and everything else you can imagine ... only his defense had been betraying him all game. His pitch count was swelling towards the 90's. The pain in his bum ankle actually brought him to his knees at one point. And the weather was so cold at Fenway, people were practically clotheslining the hot chocolate guy. This wasn't a playoff game; it was an endurance contest. For everyone.

Read the whole article here.

Red Sox Win ALCS

It really happened. I wish my dad could've been here to see it. I like to think he was watching. Once again, Bill Simmons has captured perfectly the feelings and emotions every Red Sox fan exerienced last night and is still experiencing this morning.

Let the record show that the Yanks went out with a whimper -- especially A-Rod (the anti-Babe), Sheffield (disappeared) and Matsui (never the same after Pedro dusted him in Game 4), not to mention Brown, Vasquez and Gordon, and even Torre (not his finest series). Only Jeter seemed to care that the Yankees were getting smoked -- there was one replay earlier in the game, after his RBI single, when he pumped his fist and shouted at his dugout, "Come on!" He seemed desperate. The Yankees never seem desperate. Now they were headed home for the winter, headed for the No. 1 slot on ESPN50's "Biggest Chokes" show in 2029.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox were celebrating at Yankee Stadium. Have I mentioned that yet? We were doing our own celebrating at The Office, reacting like college kids in Cancun who just found out that Lindsay Lohan was entering a wet t-shirt contest that night. Exchanging high-fives and heterosexual man-hugs, I couldn't stop glancing at the TV. It's official, right? We definitely beat them, right?

"What's wrong with you?" Sully asked.

"Honestly? I keep waiting for them to announce that there's a Game 8."

...

You have to be from here to understand. You just do. It wasn't just that the Yankees always win. It was everything else that came with it -- the petty barbs, the condescending remarks, the general sense of superiority from a fan base that derives a disproportionate amount of self-esteem from the success of their baseball team. I didn't care that they kept winning as much as they were a-holes about it. Not all of them. Most of them. In 96 hours, everything was erased. Everything. It was like pressing the re-start button on a video game.

His whole article is here.

5 Minute Segment on NPR

NPR's Morning Edition had a five minute segment by Greg Allen about Badnarik this morning.

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Michael Badnarik's name will appear on 48 state ballots and the District of Columbia on Nov. 2. Some say the third-party candidate could draw just enough votes to impact the election in some closely contested states.

Hear it here.

Red Sox Force Game 7

Last night I could hardly sleep after the Red Sox beat the evil Yankees in game 6 of the ALCS. I've been asked several times over the last three days why the Red Sox fans are the saddest looking bunch of fans around. I have to agree, that every time they show someone in the stands, it looks like someone just killed their dog. It's hard being a Red Sox fan, no doubt. You get let down a lot, but in the end, you're still a fan, and this... game 7 against the Yankees, is why.

Bill Simmons sums it up pretty well:

For two straight days, I watched my beloved Red Sox stave off elimination against the Yanks, needing 26 innings over 27 hours to stay alive for Game 6 in New York. These weren't just baseball games. They were life experiences. They broke you down in sections. They made you question God, the meaning of life, whether sports should possibly mean this much. On Sunday night, I stewed in my seat vowing never to raise my kids as Sox fans. On Monday night, I skipped out of Fenway wondering if any other team could possibly mean this much to a group of people.

Read his whole article here. His game 6 review is here.

I've been a little distracted by the ALCS so I haven't been saying much about the Libertarians and their vie for the Presidency. If the Red Sox can do it, why not Michael Badnarik. "Why Not Us?" Someone get him a tee-shirt.

Red Sox, LTE & Crossfire

The Red Sox won game 4 after virtually failing to show up at all for game 3. It was a very exciting game and the Sox pulled off a 6-4 win in 12 innings to prevent a shutout in the series. They go into game 5 today 2 games down to the evil Yankees.

The same letter to the editor that appeared in The Independent last week was printed in the Mountain View Telegraph this week. I guess I need to write a new letter.

Even though he personally supports Kerry for president, Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, appeared on CNN's Crossfire and in all seriousness, tried to explain to the hosts that they were doing an injustice to the American public. They apparently thought they were going to get just the funny man and not someone who actually has something to say. Jon lectured, "It's not honest. What you do is not honest. What you do is partisan hackery." It's just sad really. Good for you Jon. Now if we could just get you to support a good third party candidate like the Libertarian's Michael Badnarik...

"CARLSON: I do think you're more fun on your show. Just my opinion."
"STEWART: You know what's interesting, though? You're as big a dick on your show as you are on any show."

CNN transcript of the show is here.
Washington Post article on the show here.
See it for yourself at iFilm here.

Letters to Editors II

I had the following letter printed in The Independent, a weekly newspaper that covers the tri-county area in the East Mountains and Estancia Valley:

Is third party vote wasted?

"If you were in prison and had a 50% chance of lethal injection, a 45% chance of the electric chair and a 5% chance of escape, would you choose lethal injection only because it's the most likely outcome?"

This is how Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik responds to the "wasted vote" criticism of third parties and he has a point. Too often people feel they have to vote for one one of the two major candidates while admitting that they really don't want either one of them as President.

This election, I challenge everyone to vote for the one candidate that best represents you across all issues. I urge you to look at all the third party candidates on the ballot in New Mexico and learn what they represent. You will find, in most cases, that there IS someone who better represents you than the Republicans or Democrats.

KNME will be airing "Crashing The Parties 2004" on October 17th at 2 p.m. The PBS prime time documentary "...gives voters a behind-the-scenes look at third party campaigns and conventions in the 2004 presidential race, showcasing the serious political alternatives to the Democrats and Republicans. The one-hour program focuses on four major third party/independent bids: Libertarian Party (Michael Badnarik), Green Party (David Cobb), Constitution Party (Michael Peroutka) and Ralph Nader. In addition, other candidates' bids for their party's nomination are featured, such as Libertarians Gary Nolan and Aaron Russo."

For the first time, really make your vote count, embrace your Rights, Freedom and Liberty. Vote for a third party.

The Alibi didn't print the letter after calling me to confirm.

Right Here in the USA

From e-theperople.org:

Is America still a free country?

What if some other country were having an election, and citizens were only allowed to hear from two government-approved candidates?

What if two other candidates, on the ballot in a majority of states and representing parties that drew over 3 million votes in the previous election, were arrested simply for trying to enter a debate?

What if all that happened, and the "watchdog" news media didn't tell the citizens about it?

Well, it happened in the good old US of A! Libertarian Michael Badnarik (on 49 state ballots) and Green David Cobb (on 28 state ballots), crossed a police line in St. Louis, and were arrested.

You would think that Fox News, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and MSNBC would be all over this affront to the democratic process, but no, not a peep.

Badnarik was also attempting to serve the Commission on Presidential Debates with a "Show Cause Order," issued by an Arizona judge, requiring the CPD to appear at a hearing concerning the Libertarian Party's lawsuit to stop the upcoming debate at Arizona State University, as an illegal campaign contribution to Bush and Kerry, an unconstitutional use of Arizona state funds to support selected candidates, and a violation of the LP's equal protection rights, since they are a recognized political party in Arizona.

If this happened in some other country, what would we call them? Undemocratic? Human rights violations? Unbelievable?

If you think America is a free country, you are sadly mistaken. If you think the news media aren't controlled by the same people who control the Democrat and Republican parties, think again.

Oh yeah, and the Red Sox lost game 2 of the ALCS. I'm one of the "delusional fans" that Kerry mentioned in the debate. What a prick.

Badnarik and Cobb Arrested

On October 8th at 9PM, two third party candidates were arrested for attempting to enter the Washington University complex holding the second presidential debate. The candidates, Michael Badnarik of the Libertarian Party and David Cobb of the Green Party, chose civil disobedience to fight the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). Over half of Americans believe third party candidates should be included, yet politicians continue to funnel public funds into the bi-partisan Commission. S.W.A.T. teams were used to deny the will of the American people while mainstream media ignored this historic event, a shameless suppression of political diversity.

NOW with Bill Moyers II

Tonight is the night. NOW with Bill Moyers airs its interview with third party candidates. KNME is airing it at 9:30 p.m. This is after the Presidentail Debate and a half hour of New Mexico Election coverage (Congressional District 2 Race - Pearce & King). Here's a few good links on the PBS' Now with Bill Moyers site:

• The Third Parties
• Third Party Candidates and Platforms
• Debates Overview

Spyware Bills

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that outlaws technology that downloads programs without users permission.

The Representatives bill, SPY ACT (Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass) H.R.2929 passed 399-1 (wouldn't it be interesting to know who didn't vote for it) is being pushed by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce chairman Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas). The bill also addresses hijacking, pop-ups that spawn other pop-ups (popular with porn sites, pun intended), changing setting (such as in resetting a users home page) and capturing personal information without permission.

The U.S. Senate's bill passed by the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on September 22 is known as the SPY BLOCK Act (Software Principles Yielding Better Levels of Consumer Knowledge) S.2145 and is sponsored by Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana). The SPY BLOCK bill is similar but independent from the House SPY ACT bill. The Senate isn't scheduled to vote on the bill as of now.

Congress is scheduled to vote on the I-SPY Act (Internet Spyware Prevention) H.R. 4661 today. This bill deals with the criminal penalties for those who violate proposed spyware laws. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission would be responsible for enforcement of the laws.

While it's possible that all of this is good legislation, the frustrating part is that the House and Senate are both hell-bent on getting their own bills passed while claiming their willingness to work with each other. All of this while congress votes on what the penalties should be. Sounds like they're putting the cart before the horse. Just get the job done, people.

Arizona Republic

The Arizona Republic has printed excerpts from a conversation Michael Badnarik had with its Editorial Board, presumably in response to the Arizona Libertarian's filing of an injunction to stop the third Presidential Debate. It looks like their plan worked, insofar as getting someone's attention.

NOW with Bill Moyers

It looks as though at least one of the few respectable journalists out there is willing to admit that there is more than two political parties in this year's election. According to PR Newswire:

NEW YORK, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Friday on PBS' NOW with Bill Moyers, the four major third-party candidates take on the issues they believe are being ignored by the two main political parties. On the evening of the second Presidential debate in St. Louis, NOW's David Brancaccio moderates a conversation between the candidates that were excluded: Reform Party Presidential nominee Ralph Nader and Green Party candidate David Cobb and between Constitution Party candidate Michael Peroutka and Libertarian Party candidate Michael Badnarik.

"There are no ground rules agreed upon in advance," says Brancaccio. "We expect spirited conversation about what political ideas they think are absent from the national dialogue, that aren't being addressed at the tightly controlled Presidential debates."

A recent Zogby poll of likely voters shows that 57 percent would like to see "other candidates" included in the Presidential debates.

NOW with Bill Moyers airs Friday, October 8, at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings at http://www.pbs.org/now/sched.html.)

For further information please contact Rick Byrne, +1-212-560-8406, Byrner@thirteen.org, or Diane Domondon, +1-212-560-8300, domondond@thirteen.org, both of NOW with Bill Moyers.

I can't tell you how happy I am for this announcement. It just might be time we all renew our PBS memberships.

The New York Sun Article

The New York Sun's Josh Gerstein has written a great article entitled Election Spoiler May Turn Out to Be a Libertarian.

Just as in 2000, a third-party candidate could tip the balance in this year’s presidential contest. This time, however, the spoiler may not be Ralph Nader, but a man whose name most voters have never heard.

The presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party, Michael Badnarik, is on the ballot in 48 states. Mr. Nader, by contrast, is certain to be on the ballot in only 35 states, though he may pick up a few more by Election Day.

Letters to Editors

I finally had a letter published in the Mountain View Telegraph.

Scripted Debates A Bipartisan Sham

A VERY IMPORTANT part of our political process, the debates, are about to arrive. Or are they? What was once a vital part of a voter's decision-making has become a tightly controlled, heavily scripted, bipartisan sham, not debates. We should not allow this to happen.

Debates used to be where voters would move to one candidate or the other, where undecideds may decide. Debates are where some of our greatest (and some not-so-great) leaders were discovered. Recall the historically revered Lincoln-Douglas debates, or the history-changing Kennedy-Nixon debates. Who doesn't remember vice presidential candidate Lloyd Bensten telling his opponent Dan Quayle, "Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy"?

Today we are assured that no history-making moments will occur during the debates. Back in 1988 the leaders of the Democrats and Republicans formed a corporation called the Commission on Presidential Debates and wrested control away from the then-sponsors of the debates, the League of Women Voters. When this happened debate was effectively neutered. Now every minor detail is negotiated, candidates are not allowed to directly address each other, questions are posed in advance so answers can be rehearsed, and third-party candidates are intentionally excluded. Is this honest debate, or is it, as Walter Cronkite declared, "unconscionable fraud"?

We as free Americans should demand honest and open debates. We deserve to hear the beliefs and opinions of those who would lead us, and not just from the two major parties. We deserve to hear from every viable presidential candidate if we are to truly understand and evaluate the various ideas and positions regarding the many events that effect our lives today. I ask everyone to join the movement for a return to meaningful debates by signing the petition at www.opendebates.org. In a free society, open debates should not be too much to ask for.

BENJAMIN MORIN
Edgewood

Also today, I got a call from an editor from the Alibi call to confirm a letter I sent last week about third party politics and the upcoming documentary on PBS. Hopefully it will be printed in the next issue.