The featured speaker will be Dr. John M Goodman, PhD, who will be speaking on the topic of campaign finance reform.  Dr. Goodman is a California native and was a volunteer co-coordinator of the Campaign for Proposition 15 in Orange County.  Unlike other co-coordinators, he had not been working on “clean money” campaigns for several decades, but once he found out about Prop 15 in January of this year, he leaped into the fray to help pass this important legislation.  Although it did not pass in the recent election, he will explain just what the Proposition was all about and why passing something like it is so very important. He will also be showing a brief video by Bill Moyers on the general subject, as it is already in effect in several states, and why it should be in force nationwide.

Dr. Goodman earned his doctorate in Physics and the History of Science & Technology from Cornell University in New York.  He has been a consultant for over 40 years, in such areas as graphic design, advertising campaign work and grant proposal writing.  He has written seven books plus numerous articles on personal computer technology, and is an inventor.  His personal passions include theater, modern dance and modern art.  He and his wife of 29 years live in Garden Grove.

All are invited to attend what should be a very informative and timely discussion of a topic  that deeply impacts the decusions California voters make at the ballot box

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THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY 18 MONTHS OUT

Even before Inauguration Day on January 20, 2009, then President-elect Barack Obama had already become the target for arrows of derision, anger, and in some cases hatred, shot from the quivers of extremists on the far right of the American political spectrum. Now, eighteen months into his presidency, the president continues to be the object of scorn and vilification fired at him by radical extremists, a loosely defined segment of American society that has become known as the Tea Party Movement.   And even more disconcerting are the voices of opposition coming from the  progressive wing  of the Democratic Party who claim that the president is not fulfilling  campaign promise to bring  fundamental change to Washington D.C. --that all Americans had an inherent right to health care,  that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would come to an end,  and that the United States would provide excellent leadership in weaning the world from its dependence on carbon-based fuels and make significant reductions on toxic gas emissions that pollute the air and contribute to climate change.   Those on the right maintain the implementation of these goals requires excessive government oversight on individuals as well as government controlled regulation,  and at a cost the country cannot afford,  But more than that their opposition is philosophical  they call this kind of  blatant  socialism that calls for a humongous expansion of government into the lives of individuals.     Many on the left side of the political divide say government is bound by the Constitution to do what individuals can’t do for themselves.

As I see it, President Obama is being hammered from the right and from the left on every major issue.

I want to believe that the president is at heart a person who believes sincerely in the ideals he set forth during his campaign:   to change the culture of Washington now run primarily by the corporate world,  to reign in the unchecked control of Wall Street over Main Street, to negotiate for peace rather than prosecute war,  to remedy the weak economy by massive infusions of capital into the private sector, to make a significant difference on the country’s carbon-footprint.  Even God himself would be hard pressed to accomplish these lofty goals, much less any human being, even President Obama.  It takes years, perhaps generations to bring about major changes in society and culture.   This  president is a pragmatist.   Whatever it takes to get any kind of change, he is willing to compromise in order to  get something positive.   If he can’t get the whole hog, he will settle for a ham sandwich.  He was willing to eschew a national, single payer health insurance bill in order to get some health insurance for 31 million uninsured Americans.   If it is impossible to immediately withdraw U.S. troups from Afghanistan, then set a target date (July, 2011) for beginning to draw down military strength.  Compromise has been and is today the foundational strategy inherent in the American system of governance.

Finally, I would like to enumerate the barriers and pitfalls the president has to negotiate to accomplish any of his agenda.

• An atmosphere of hostility in Congress
• An archaic procedure in the U.S. Senate called “the filibuster” that enables the minority party to govern over the majority.
• Big, influential professional lobbies that put lots of money into the pockets of leaders of the Legislative Branch.
• The deepest financial crisis since the Great Depression—not of the president’s doing.
• Poverty in the country not seen since the Dustbowl of the 30s.
• A national debt that threatens to bankrupt the country within twenty years.
• Run-away toxic air pollution across the globe, causing global climate change.

So what’s a fella going to do?   To do his best to surmount the obstacles,   that’s all we can ask of our president.  I am convinced he is doing just that.  While like all liberal/progressives, I am not 100% satisfied with the president’s performance.   But given the enormity of the problems we face, I am very glad Barack Obama is in the White House.  He is everything he represented himself to be during the Campaign, and then some—brilliant, an eloquent, persuasive speaker, honest and forthright, a world leader of dramatic proportions.   Bottom line, Mr. Obama must win a second term.   The alternative is unthinkable.   So, fellow progressives, I urge all of us to work hard to overcome disagreements with the president.   In order to win in November, we need your active interest and support of the president.   The number of registered Democrats in San Bernardino County continues to fall, now within less than a 20,000 majority.   Let’s keep our eye on the prize:  a second term for President Obama and victory for all Democrats running for Congress, including Pat Meagher for the 41^st Assembly District.