Norm Stamper (The Nation): "Paramilitary Policing From Seattle to Occupy Wall Street"

A man sits in front of a police line at City Hall during an anti-Wall Street protest in Oakland, California, October 25, 2011. (REUTERS/Kim White)

Norm Stamper:

There will always be situations—an armed and barricaded suspect, a man with a knife to his wife’s throat, a school-shooting rampage—that require disciplined, military-like operations. But most of what police are called upon to do, day in and day out, requires patience, diplomacy and interpersonal skills. I’m convinced it is possible to create a smart organizational alternative to the paramilitary bureaucracy that is American policing. But that will not happen unless, even as we cull “bad apples” from our police forces, we recognize that the barrel itself is rotten.

Assuming the necessity of radical structural reform, how do we proceed? By building a progressive police organization, created by rank-and-file officers, “civilian” employees and community representatives. Such an effort would include plans to flatten hierarchies; create a true citizen review board with investigative and subpoena powers; and ensure community participation in all operations, including policy-making, program development, priority-setting and crisis management. In short, cops and citizens would forge an authentic partnership in policing the city. And because partners do not act unilaterally, they would be compelled to keep each other informed, and to build trust and mutual respect—qualities sorely missing from the current equation.

It will not be easy. In fact, failure is assured if we lack the political will to win the support of police chiefs and their elected bosses, if we are unable to influence or neutralize police unions, if we don’t have the courage to move beyond the endless justifications for maintaining the status quo. But imagine the community and its cops united in the effort to responsibly “police” the Occupy movement. Picture thousands of people gathered to press grievances against their government and the corporations, under the watchful, sympathetic protection of their partners in blue. MORE...

"Occupy LA Teach In Robert Scheer" (video)

OccupyLAMedia, video (13:43).

Howie P.S.: I first ran into Bob Scheer when he spoke at a Viet Nam Teach In I helped to organize @ UCLA in 1965. He was right then, too.

Book Excerpt: "The Confidence Crumbles"

truthdig.com (Excerpted from “Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President” by Ron Suskind):

By being himself—an alluring and inspiring self, supremely confident yet expressing humility, speaking powerfully of grabbing history’s arc and bending it toward justice—Obama became the first black president. But more and more, walking the halls of this building, he doesn’t feel like himself—someone who could bring people together, who could map common ground and, upon it, build a future.

Disputes among his top advisers have become so acute, so fierce, that the president has had to step in and mediate many of them himself. He’s not getting what he needs to manage this daunting job, and some advisers have become convinced that his lack of experience, especially managerial experience, may be his undoing; that, at a time of peril, the president may simply not be up to the demands of this moment. But his gratitude for those who’ve ushered him to power, and have walked with him through battle, gets in the way of tough love, at least with those closest to him. There are top aides he’s wanted to remove for months or even longer, but can’t seem to. He knows he should, that no organization can run without accountability. MORE...

"OCCUPIERS OF WASHINGTON, UNITE NOVEMBER 28TH!"

occupyolympia.com:

An especially bad legislative session is being convened to ram state budget cuts down the throats of the 99%. $2.7 billion will be cut and your representatives will pretend that they can’t do anything about it. The 99% understand that many state representatives have their arms twisted behind their backs by the big banks, corporations and 1%, while others happily go along with the corporate ruling class. We seek to recognize and free from under the dominance of corporations those state representatives who would like to stand with the 99%. For those that are happily doing the bidding of their corporate ruling class we will recognize and free you from your position as state representative.

If our state representatives won’t provide for the relative security and basic needs of the 99% during a time of increasing need then they must step aside or they will be removed directly. To the corporate lobbyist, you are no longer welcome on the capital campus, leave now and never return or we will expel you directly.

The special session is scheduled to last for 30 days. Come for a day, a week, the month, or indefinitely.

'A Fine Rant' by Ari Melber--"Get a Job? Get a Clue!" (video)

MSNBC-Dylan Ratigan, video (03:34).

Howie P.S.: Ari Melber discusses the argument made by certain morons that the Occupy movement is populated by people who should just "get a job."

Seattle's "Election Night Sex Rodeo 2011!!!" (SLOG, with photos)

Any predictions for tonight, Mr. Pelz? "I'm only here to rant," he said.

STRANGER ELECTION CONTROL BOARD:

The blow-by-blow accounts are all below. Long story short: State voters decided—with a $22 million assist from Costco—that state-run liquor stores must close and, in June of next year, large grocery stores can begin to carry hard liquor. Meanwhile, Tim Eyman's anti-light-rail, anti-tolling measure is failing by a narrow margin, and the SEIU's health-care worker initative is passing easily.

So liquor and health care are looking up; initiative trolls, not so much. MORE...

Jane Mayer: "Four, which is the number who have now accused Cain of inappropriate sexual behavior, is a farewell chorus."

Jane Mayer (The New Yorker):

When it comes to the politics of sexual scandals, there’s an iron-clad rule that Clarence Thomas’s handlers recognized implicitly, which Herman Cain may be about to pay the price for breaking: Two women is company, three’s a crowd. Four, which is the number who have now accused Cain of inappropriate sexual behavior, is a farewell chorus. MORE...

Seattle: "Occupy Town Hall: A Conversation-Saturday, November 12, 2011, 7:30 – 9:00pm"

townhallseattle.org:

The Occupy movement could be the most important political movement in a generation, or it could be a dud—it all depends on what happens next. Tonight, participants from the movement and community leaders talk about their vision, their plans, and hear audience questions, too. Town Hall’s Public Room will stay open late for continued conversation. Presented by Town Hall and The Stranger. THIS EVENT WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 2.

Free, general admission, though seating is limited. Doors open at 6:30 pm.

"Occupy Northwest - Seattle" (Photo Essay)

David Bacon (Truthout):

Seattle, Washington - Seattle is the first Occupy I've seen whose banners refer to it as a "planton," giving credit to the social movements of Mexico, Central America, the Philippines, and other countries for the tactic of living in tents in public spaces as a protest tactic. The US has its own history of occupations, especially factory sit-ins, but for anyone who's walked through Mexico City's Zocalo, the sight of tents full of protesters is very familiar.
Seattle's diverse and well-organized Occupy community sits in a park next to Seattle Central Community College. In addition to supporting the New York City demonstration, Occupy Wall Street, residents protest economic inequality and its impact on working people, students, the poor and the young. It is a protest by the 99 percent of the people, who are exploited by a system that only benefits the top 1 percent.
At the entrance to the tent city, Antonio Cruz, one of the cooks in the camp kitchen, washes dishes. Occupiers share the work of making sandwiches for lunch for the camp residents. Food preparers got food-handling licenses from the city the day before. Reina Hailee works in the food storage tent. MORE...

"#OccupyLA: Insight Out News Interviews Bill Maher, David DeGraw and Derek Cressman" (video)

ows.org with video (16:36):

Insight Out News reports on day 37 of Occupy Los Angeles, includes interviews with Bill Maher, David DeGraw and Derek Cressman.

Tim Egan: "The clowns have finally taken over the circus"

Tim Egan:

Herman Cain was never — and will never be — a serious candidate. He’s a vanity candidate who got into the race to boost his income as a motivational speaker. And lo, because he can speak, and people like Governor Rick Perry cannot string noun, verb and object together in a coherent fashion, he looks superior by comparison.

As evidenced by his year on the stump, Cain has proved that he knows almost nothing about American life beyond burgers and pizzas, and even less about the larger world.
(SNIP)
More than ever, the public feels disconnected from the political process. They feel like it’s an inside game, and money always wins. They despise a Congress that fiddles with votes to keep “In God We Trust” as a national motto and rails against a nonexistent rule to regulate dust, but will do nothing to forward funds to repair a bridge. In the last CBS/New York Times poll, Congressional approval was 9 percent. The only surprise was that it was so high. MORE...

"MSNBC’s Karen Finney: Will GOP Rally Around Cain Despite Accuser Being White?" (with video)

MEDIAite with video (02:58) from MSNBC:

MSNBC commentator Karen Finney waded into the muddied waters of sexual politics and miscegenation on Monday’s Martin Bashir. “It’s going to be fascinating to see how this story unfolds over the next several days and particularly interesting to see how our friends on the right handle the accusations from these women in conjunction with how they handled Anita Hill.” “What do you mean, Karen?” Bashir pressed. “Look, I think it will be interesting to see if these guys rally around Herman Cain with as much voracity as they have these last couple of weeks now that it’s clear that a whole other layer of black sexuality has been infused into this,” Finney explained. “Also remember these women were ten years younger than we’re seeing them now. So that whole power dynamic. This is an older man, this younger women. White women, Black man.” MORE...

(Updated) Herman Offers His "Stimulus Package" (with photo)

UPDATE: "Details Emerge On Cain’s Accusers, Cain Campaign Starts The Trashing"(TPM-Evan McMorris-Santoro):

We now have a face — well, two faces — on the Herman Cain scandal, and we’re getting some insight into how Cain plans to defend himself against Sharon Bialek’s compelling if less-than-verifiable story. In short, Cain plans to drag Bialek through the mud.

That started last night. MORE...

Howie Opinion: I believe her, do you?

"NBC poll: Despite national pessimism, Obama tops GOP foes" (with video)

Mark Murray (NBC News), with video (02:47):

One year out before President Barack Obama faces voters in his bid for re-election, he encounters an American public that remains deeply pessimistic about the state of the country and its economy, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. MORE...

"Sign of grim times: Kids in Nickelsville" (Seattle-with slideshow)

K'eet Dundas, 11, walks among the tents in the Nickelsville tent community in West Seattle on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011. Over 130 people are housed here on any given day and as the weather gets colder many are struggling to stay warm. K'eet's mother Martina said its really cold and there needs to be more funding for families. She said there is almost always a place for a couple but there is not very much support for families that want to stay together. Currently there are at least four pregnant women living Nickelsville.Photo: JOE DYER / SEATTLEPI.COM

Vanessa Ho, with slideshow (SeattlePI.com):

In January, Seattle's annual homeless count delivered some seemingly good news: It found fewer people sleeping without shelter than in years past.

But a month later, a deep cut in state benefits went into effect, devastating thousands of poor families. Suddenly, social workers in Seattle began seeing a spike in families losing housing, searching for shelter and finding none, in a grim trend that shows no sign of abatement.

"I've never had seen it like this," said Jeanice Hardy, a longtime housing director for the YWCA of Seattle. MORE...

"Washington Pot Initiative Splits Reform Community"

CELEBSTONER:

A marijuana legalization proposal by New Approach Washington has activists taking sides in the Evergreen State. While Initiative 502 would tax and regulate cannabis, co-sponsor Rick Steves admits it's a "sober, pragmatic and conservative law." MORE...

H/t to Lee.

USA-OWS: "With People In Streets, Mubarak Congress Focused On Taking Money Out Of Economy"

Dave Johnson (Campaign for America's Future):

This situation of crony government protecting the connected rich while people are in the streets demanding change is more and more reminiscent of Egypt under Mubarak. In the real world tens of thousands are in the streets around the country demanding taxes on the rich and an end to corporate rule, as a new report lists profitable companies that pay no taxes at all. Today's jobs report is not enough to even keep up. But in the Congress Senate Republicans filibuster another jobs bill and the "super committee" is looking at how much to take out of the economy and out of the things We the People do for each other -- in order to keep taxes low for the rich and their giant corporations.
(SNIP)
People are fed up, and rightly so. Poll after poll shows that the public wants taxes on the rich increased to pay for the deficit, infrastructure, education, health care, retirement and the rest of the things We, the People need. But our captured government is only serving the top few when they talk about cutting these things in order to keep taxes low at the top. The 1% would be well-advised to pay attention to what has happened in other countries where government ignores the people and takes care only of the connected rich. MORE...

WA: Two Pro Pot Initiatives Aiming for 2012 Vote (with video)

Sensible Washington, video (03:37):

Doug Hiatt announcing that Sensible Washington will be running an initiative in 2012 and asking for donations to help cover costs of printing, and volunteer support materials.

"Pro-pot campaign gets big names, deep pockets" (Jonathan Martin-Seattle Times):

A new marijuana-legalization campaign with deep pockets and prominent supporters is poised to force the state Legislature to vote on the issue or send it to the 2012 ballot. MORE...

"Another Strong Day for Occupy Seattle"

Dominic Holden (SLOG):

Today is Bank Transfer Day, as Goldy mentioned earlier, featuring withdrawls from financial giants, new accounts at credit unions, and protesters blocking downtown traffic. The fun kicked off in Seattle this morning with city council member Mike O'Brien joining Verity Credit Union in Wallingford. He deployed the rallying cry that big banks are "making life difficult for customers while reaping record profits."

By early afternoon, a couple hundred protesters had gathered outside the Bank of America branch in Weslake Park while folks walked in and closed their accounts. While some of the protests in the past couple weeks have been mired in self-reflection and internal politics, today's demonstrations attracted lots of TV cameras catching the totally-on-point, completely-comprehensible message. (Mainstream media has lots of reports today on Bank Transfer Day and teach-ins here, here, here, here, here, and here.) This photo doesn't quite show it, but the crowd was roughly half folks with silver hair:
MORE...

Howie P.S.: I was out of town today, but my hair is also silver and I would have been there if I wasn't. As I have said earlier, we moved our family's banking to a local credit union over a year ago and have been very happy we did.

"Washington Pre-Occupied"

Robert Reich:

The biggest question in America these days is how to revive the economy.

The biggest question among activists now occupying Wall Street and dozens of other cities is how to strike back against the nation’s almost unprecedented concentration of income, wealth, and political power in the top 1 percent.

The two questions are related. With so much income and wealth concentrated at the top, the vast middle class no longer has the purchasing power to buy what the economy is capable of producing. (People could pretend otherwise as long as they could treat their homes as ATMs, but those days are now gone.) The result is prolonged stagnation and high unemployment as far as the eye can see.

Until we reverse the trend toward inequality, the economy can’t be revived.

But the biggest question in our nation’s capital right now has nothing to do with any of this. It’s whether Congress’s so-called “Supercommittee” – six Democrats and six Republicans charged with coming up with $1.2 trillion in budget savings — will reach agreement in time for the Congressional Budget Office to score its proposal, which must then be approved by Congress before Christmas recess in order to avoid an automatic $1.5 trillion in budget savings requiring major across-the-board cuts starting in 2013.

Have your eyes already glazed over? MORE...

Joel Connelly "Welcomes" Darcy Burner to the First Congressional District

Joel Connelly (SeattlePI.com):

Launching her third bid for Congress, Darcy Burner has used a national web site to deliver a pretty clear message to voters in what will be Washington’s redrawn 1st District: I will use you to pursue my national agenda.

Burner, a Democrat, was lionized on Friday evening in the “Cheers and Jeers: Rum and Coke FRIDAY” column on the liberal dailykos. com web site. She did a puff interview with column author, “Bill in Portland, Maine.”

“On Wednesday, progressive champion, Net Roots Nation keynote speaker and true-orange Kossack Darcy Burner announced her candidacy for Congress in Washington’s 1st District,” Bill exclaimed.

“Darcy’s resume makes my head spin,” adds Bill, talking about a candidate who ran into resume-padding trouble in 2008.

He asked Burner why she declared in the 1st District, instead of mounting a third challenge to 8th District Republican Rep. Dave Reichert. Burner replied that redistricting will likely remove Democratic areas from the 8th District and put them into the 1st.

No matter that three Democratic legislators, a former legislator and two civic and party activists are already running. It’s all about Burner, who sees an easier road to Capitol Hill, saying:

“So, instead of running against a Republican in a Republican district, I get to run for an open seat in a Democratic district. Yay, redistricting — I think this will be way more fun.” MORE...

Howie P.S.: Love the way Joel repeats the "resume padding" charge as a fact, even though the charge was/is @best kinda shaky. And criticizing a candidate for the U.S. Congress for "pursuing a national agenda" makes my head spin. Would Joel make the same charge against a certain incumbent congresscritter who happens to live in the 7th? BTW, I have no horse in the race for the Democratic nomination in this contest. Goldy, who came out strong for Darcy earlier this week, gives her a full-throated defense, as only Goldy can do.

"Touré, Rush Limbaugh & How We Talk About Racism" (with video)

MSNBC-Dylan Ratigan, with video (03:57):

TOURÉ: This week I’m proud to say, Rush Limbaugh called me a racist.

RUSH CLIP: Touré on MSNBC, where the motto is “resist we much.” That’s right, Touré. For 23 years I’ve been hearing it. Maybe not from you, but people all over your side of the aisle. For 23 years, I’m racist, and I’m not. Never have been. You guys are.

Well, if that’s not a badge of honor, I don’t know what is. When I heard that, I said, “mama, I made it!” But whatever small comical victory that moment represents for me, it’s part of a loss for the country. It shows you the American conversation about race is devolving, because some people want to destroy that conversation.

The absurd idea that we are post-racial has emboldened many to reject the legitimacy of talking about race. To them, discussing race in and of itself is racist, because you’re playing the race card and injecting race into the world, as if it’s not already there.

For some people, racism is a word to fling around in an attempt to distort the meaning of the word and contort the necessary race conversation into meaninglessness. And whenever the conversation is pulled into the gutter of meaninglessness, we all lose.

Because we still have a significant racial problem in this country. We still have much to work on. Racism nowadays is more subtle and nuanced than ever, and that means un-nuanced thinkers like Rush can play easily dumb. “What do you mean I’m racist? I don’t have slaves, I’m not in the klan! What do you mean you experienced racism? You don’t have segregated fountains, you have a black president. Why are you still complaining?”

Well, white privilege is something while people need do nothing to access. White people who aren’t racist still accrue the benefits of being white. This in a world with institutional racism and glass ceilings and white men with felony convictions being more likely to get jobs than black men with clean records — that makes it too much to accept quietly. MORE...

"Too big to jail"? would make a great bumper sticker.

Robert Rubin. (Photo: Center for American Progress / Flickr)

Robert Scheer (Truthdig):

Can we all agree that a $1 billion swindle represents a lot of money, and the fact that Citigroup agreed last week to pay a $285 million fine to settle SEC charges for “misleading investors” demonstrates a damning admission of culpability?

So why has Robert Rubin, the onetime treasury secretary who went on to become Citigroup chairman during the time of the corporation’s financial shenanigans, never been held accountable for this and other deep damage done to the U.S. economy on his watch? MORE...

Hey Seattle: LOOK @ OCCUPY OLYMPIA! (photo)

Photo from the Occupy Olympia Flicker stream.

Howie P.S.: We were on our way to Portland to visit our daughter and stopped for some Vietnamese food. Guess what we found as we parked the car?! There were (I counted them) at least fifty tents there in Heritage Park.

"New Approach Washington, Pot-Legalization Effort, Get Huge Cash Infusion--Rival Effort Promises to Fight with New Initiative"

Curtis Cartier (Seattle Weekly):

​With only two months left to collect enough signatures to make next November's ballot, Initiative 502, the effort to legalize marijuana by the group New Approach Washington, is getting a big shot of money in the arm.

Meanwhile, attorney Doug Hiatt, the leader of failed rival legalization group Sensible Washington, is vowing to renew their fight against 502. Hiatt says that this week he will announce a new, broader pot-legalization initiative to be filed in January and ready to compete in the November election as well. MORE...

"Rachel Maddow, Michael Moore Talk Expansion of Occupy Movement" (with video)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

MSNBC-Rachel Maddow, with video (12:07):

Michael Moore appeared on Rachel Maddow's show Thursday night to discuss the expansion of the Occupy movements sweeping across the United States.

The filmmaker and activist has traveled across the nation to speak to protesters in various cities including New York, Oakland and Denver. He was speaking to Maddow from Denver, where he addressed demonstrators earlier on Thursday. MORE...

Darcy Burner visits Steve Scher on KUOW (audio)

Darryl (HorsesAss.org)with audio:

Yesterday morning on KUOW, Darcy Burner announced her candidacy for Washington’s 1st CD. Weekday host Steve Scher interviewed Darcy about her run and her vision for the position. Here is the audio of the interview. It’s worth a listen...

"The Shocking, Graphic Data That Shows Exactly What Motivates the Occupy Movement"

Les Leopold (OCCUPY WALL STREET NEWS):

What are the Occupy Wall Street protesters angry about? The same things we’re all angry about. The only difference is the protestors turned their anger into public action. Occupy Wall Street lit the embers and the sparks are flying. Whether it turns into a genuine populist prairie fire depends on all of us.

Now is not the time for wonky policy solutions, as the media meatheads are calling for. Rather, it’s time to air our grievances as loudly as possible, which is precisely what Wall Street and its minions fear the most. Here’s a brief list of why we should be angry and the charts to back it up. MORE...

"The Occupy Wall Street protests are open heart surgery for the soul of America."

Vivian McPeak (SeattlePI.com op-ed):

The soul of America is sick, and protests against Wall Street greed and corruption have spread across the globe faster than a vaccine-resistant influenza at a slave-labor camp. Americans are participating in various towns, erecting tent cities in public squares, holding nighttime vigils, and occupying places of corporate commerce.

Something is definitely happening, something that we have not seen in some time in this country. As the global economy takes a nosedive, corporate profits have soared to a level of abject obscenity. And many Americans have clearly had enough. MORE...

Howie P.S.: I've had open heart surgery but I'm not yet 100% sure this analogy works. Let's see how the patient is doing in a year or two.

Jimmy Kimmel on Cain and other late night political jokes

Frazier Moore (AP):

"He says he never sexually harassed anyone," Jimmy Kimmel chimed in on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Instead, the former pizza restaurant executive "was just asking them if they wanted extra sausage." MORE...

Howie P.S.: Generally speaking, once the late night comics start mocking a presidential candidate, that campaign is "done."

Seattle Television Stations Cover Occupy Seattle, Jaime Dimon Protests (with videos)

"6 arrested and pepper spray deployed in Occupy Seattle protests"(KING 5 News), with video (02:04):

Bottles were thrown, more pepper spray was deployed and police put on riot gear Wednesday night as Seattle police and Occupy Seattle protesters clashed outside the downtown Sheraton Hotel.

This comes on the heels of arrests made at a Chase bank branch in Capitol Hill and the CEO of JP Morgan Chase speaking at a UW Business school celebration at the downtown Sheraton Hotel. MORE...

"Angry Occupy Seattle protesters block roads, square off with police" (kirotv.com), video (01:38)

James Lynch, KPCQ with video (02:00):

From their old haunt at Westlake Park the group Occupy Seattle made its way to the Sheraton hotel, marching down the middle of the street while dodging oncoming traffic.

“I'm here because the gap between the rich and the poor keeps increasing and increasing and there's no solution on the table by our leaders, so we as citizens of America feel we have to step up,” said one protester. MORE...

Seattle: "Police Pepper Spray into the Crowd at Protest of JPMorgan Chase CEO" (Updated)

Dominic Holden (SLOG):

Original post begins at 5:15 PM: More than 250 protesters have now amassed in Westlake Park downtown for a protest of JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon tonight, who is speaking at the Sheraton Hotel, following an arrest-and-pepper-spray clash between cops and protesters at Chase Bank on Capitol Hill this afternoon. Goldy reports that the crowd is jamming out to DJs, making protest signs, and soaking scarves in vinegar to counter an another pepper spray conflict with cops. Barricades are set up around the Sheraton Hotel a couple blocks east.

Goldy asks what will happen next: Are police prepared to arrest all these people? Or do they intend to pen them in somehow? Stay tuned.

UPDATE at 6:10 PM: Protester are marching into oncoming traffic up Pine Street as they attempt to block access to the Sheraton, bringing cars to a standstill at rush hour, Goldy reports. There are more than 300 people marching through the rain chanting the classic Occupy chant: "We got sold out, banks got bailed out." Protesters announced before they left that the plan was to surround the Sheraton and link arms in two rows, but Goldy says he "isn't sure if that’s possible, but we will see how police respond when they attempt to do it."

UPDATE at 6:23 PM: Goldy calls with another update: Sixth Avenue is closed off between Union Street and Pike Street because protesters have spilled out into the street, largely thanks to the fact that barricades are blocking access to the sidewalk. Cops aren't letting poeple in, of course. Hilariously, the ballroom upstairs has a direct view down onto Sixth Avenue. Goldy says, "I don't know if Jamie Dimon is looking at the protesters, but a lot of the attendees are."

UPDATE at 6:50 PM: A team of demonstrators are inside the building and preparing an action, sources say.

The cop says this gun shoots "flowers."

UPDATE at 7:02 PM: Protesters have formed a human chain around the front of the Sheraton Hotel and they are preventing people from entering or leaving, Goldy reports. He's seen several hotel guests unsuccessfully attempt to enter the building but the police, on the other side of the chain and barricades, aren't doing anything to help the guests. Meanwhile, a police truck has arrived with more barricades, and it appears that police may attempt to shut down yet another block of Sixth Avenue to the south. Goldy speculates that police may "force the issue" to reopen the street.

UPDATE at 7:08 PM: Cops are getting nasty, armed with pepper spray and what appear to be rubber bullet guns. Police pushed through the human chain a few moments ago with their bicycles and began indiscriminately pepper spraying into the crowd of people, Goldy reports. Protesters are trying to clean out their eyes, including one victim who says he was standing back simply videotaping, when the cop pepper sprayed him and the surrounding demonstrators. Goldy points out that nobody was arrested—no clear law broken—but rather just a chance to pepper spray people (even those who weren't in the human chain).

Meanwhile, several dozen cops are standing on Pike Street, some of whom have rubber bullet guns. Asked what the guns shoot, one cop said it fired "flowers."

UPDATE at 7:45 PM: As rain pelts down in heavy wind, the night wears on, and regular blasts of pepper spray begin to take their toll, the crowd has thinned to about 50 people. There aren't enough people to maintain the human chain anymore, but they stand near the hotel entrance on Pike Street. When people want to leave the hotel, Goldy reports, a few police push their bikes into the crowd as barricades and then pepper spray everyone in the crowd. This has happened several times now. There's a makeshift clinic across the street where pepper spray victims are having their eyes rinsed out (it reportedly begins to help after 20 minutes). One woman at the clinic says it was "like having habanero rubbed your eyballs."

Howie P.S.: Earlier in the day on Wednesday in Seattle: "Protesters arrested, pepper-sprayed at Chase bank."

"The Real Meaning of Occupy Wall Street"

Occupy Boston demonstrators march on October 23, 2011, one day after Noam Chomsky gave the talk at their encampment from which this article is adapted. (Photo: Katina Rogers at Flickr, Creative Commons license.)

The Bloody Crossroads:

Feel the moment, forget about where this is heading (photo by Adam Lempel):

It doesn’t matter if Occupy Wall Street brings no practical changes to the world. It doesn’t matter if it fails to halt the onslaught of global corporate capitalism. If humanity does indeed annihilate itself through nuclear holocaust or climate collapse or the next boom-bust cycle—which will likely be even bigger and worse than the sub-prime mortgage crisis, as power is now more concentrated than before— we’ll at least know that we spoke the truth when it mattered. That we took a stand for what was right. Even against all odds. Even in the face of ridicule and state sanctioned brutality. MORE...

Howie P.S. Noam Chomsky spoke at the Occupy Boston encampment on Dewey Square on Oct. 22. This article, "Occupy the Future," is based on that talk.

"Mayor McGinn: Hands Off Occupy Seattle Protesters"

SignOn.org:

We demand that you call off the police and that Occupy Seattle be allowed to exercise free speech and voice its opposition to corporate control by demonstrating in Westlake Park, which is in the city center where the targets of these protests--the multi-national corporations and banks--are located. We demand no restrictions on First Amendment rights to assemble, including attempts to seek protection from the weather, any time - day or night. MORE...

"Darcy Burner announces for Congress" (video)

DarcyBurner2012, with video (02:06):

Darcy Burner's announcement video. For more information please go to www.DarcyBurner.com

Howie P.S.: Goldy is out quickly with his instant analysis and support in the primary race for this 1st district seat being vacated by Jay Inslee.

"The Commodification of Occupy Wall Street" (with video)

Get More: Music News

Allison Kilkenny (The Nation) with video (05:09) from MTV:

I’m sure there are some out there who believe this kind of exposure is good for OWS—that it will raise the movement’s profile and expose more youth to its message. And that might be true, but the more likely outcome is that youth will begin to consume OWS as they do every other facet of their entertainment experiences. Most people don’t run out and sign up for dance classes after watching Dancing with the Stars. Some might, but more often, Americans fulfill their need for arts and culture by watching others do the art and experience the culture for them. MORE...

"Senate Women Face High Stakes In 2012"

Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) at a press conference on Planned Parenthood on April 13, 2011.

Amanda Terkel (HuffPo):

Democratic recruitment efforts for the Senate are being led by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee who is also the sole woman on the super committee charged with deficit reduction. In May, she and other Democratic senators -- both male and female -- held a press conference to try to ensure that the needs of women and families were considered during budget negotiations.

"I don't just want to keep our majority, I want to build on our majority with more women voices that represent this country and are able to forge solutions to the problems we face," said Murray. "Recruiting and electing more women to the Senate is not only the right thing for our party, but more importantly I think it is critical for the direction of our country." MORE...

"Some members of Congress now consider themselves 'immune' to public opinion"

Clinton emphasizes the importance of Democrats and Republicans sharing the future. | AP Photo

Josh Boak (Politico):

At Georgetown on Friday, Gene Sperling, who was director of the National Economic Council for Clinton and now for Obama, said the shutdown eventually led to cooperation because GOP leaders did not want to be seen as the problem.

“The public responded by essentially punishing the party they thought was most recalcitrant,” Sperling said. “What was at least nice about the time then was that people seemed to actually care about public opinion.”

Some members of Congress now consider themselves “immune” to public opinion, he continued, adding the best way to move forward is for leaders of both parties and both chambers to reach an agreement.

“It doesn’t always work, as you saw over the summer” with the debt ceiling debate, Sperling said. “But it’s the only chance you have.” MORE...

Howie P.S.: I guess nowadays when you want dismiss what most people think or believe (as reflected in polling) you can call it "public opinion." Or you can also set out to change it, with lies and money.

Welcome Chase CEO Jaimie Dimon to Seattle Wednesday @ 6pm

OCCUPY TOGETHER (scroll down):

Occupy Seattle - Occupy Seattle organizers are asking folks to rally at Westlake Park at 6 p.m. this Wednesday. The group will march to the nearby Sheraton Hotel in downtown Seattle, where Chase bank’s Jamie Dimon will be the keynote speaker at the Foster School of Business.

"What Is Occupy Wall Street About?" (animation video)

Ari Melber Tweets about this:

Perhaps to help those confused pundits, a new animation video (01:31) explains ows.

Matt Taibbi on Rick Perry (video)

David Edwards (Raw Story) with video (02:43) from Countdown:

Rolling Stone contributor Matt Taibbi says that Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry has “just kind of lost it.”

Over the weekend, Perry gave an odd speech in New Hampshire that quickly went viral and caused some to suggest that he might be medicated or drunk.

“When he felt like he was on his own turf, he comes across as a very commanding, slick, smooth politician,” Taibbi told Current TV’s Keith Olbermann Monday. “But as soon as he got into the rigors of the campaign — you know, some people can just kind of handle having their lives torn apart on national television and other people just can’t. And I think he’s just one of those guys.” MORE...

"Michael Moore speaks to Occupy Portland" (video)

Vimeo, video (20:33).

Howie P.S.: After having visited occupations in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Moore said Portland's occupation is "awesome" and is the biggest he has seen.

Danny Westneat (Seattle Times): "Companies enjoying tax breaks should 'give three' percent back"

Danny Westneat (Seattle Times, op-ed):

The state workers' union meant to be combative. But last week, in throwing down the political equivalent of a schoolyard taunt, I think they hit on an idea with legs.

The backdrop was our grim-reaper governor, once again at the mike to say she must throw poor people off health insurance, jam the public-school classrooms with 30-plus kids in each and gut the universities.

I have no choice, she kept saying. My pocketbook is empty.

Both Democrats and Republicans nodded gravely and then dipped into their stock of times-are-tough clichés. We've looked under every rock. It's all on the table. Nobody is spared the pain.

Bull, said the union. MORE...

"Occupy Seattle building momentum?" (video)

Patrick Oppman, with video from CNN (02:35):

They may be far from Wall Street, but protesters at Occupy Seattle say the movement is gaining steam.

Greg Sargent: "Today in supercommittee follies"

Greg Sargent:

The likelihood is mounting that the supercommittee will fail, leading to a great deal of handwringing in both parties about all the public blame that will be heaped on the supercommittee if they fail to reach a deal.

So let’s be really clear. Democrats have agreed to deep cuts in Medicare in exchange for the tax hikes that most fiscal experts agree are absolutely necessary to fix the deficit. The Dem offer is well to the right of previous bipartisan proposals. But Republicans have said No, insisting that the only revenue increases they can stomach will come from closing loopholes.

If the supercommittee fails, brace yourself for a whole bunch of bogus false-equivalence reporting to the effect that both sides, or the generic “Congress,” are to blame.

Patrick Oppman: "Occupy Seattle" (slideshow)

Patrick Oppmann (slideshow).

"Papantonio: Cain -- The GOP's Latest Sex Pervert" (video)

golefttv, with video (11:26):

Herman Cain's campaign is now having to deal with more than just his usual "stupid talk." Today, his campaign is dealing with allegations of sexual harassment, as well as some potential election law violations. Mike Papantonio talks with Ed Schultz about the future of the Cain campaign.

Frank Rich: "The Class War Has Begun"

"The Bonus Army veterans stage a mass vigil on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol in 1932."

Frank Rich (New York Magazine):

What’s as intriguing as Occupy Wall Street itself is that once again our Establishment, left, right, and center, did not see the wave coming or understand what it meant as it broke. Maybe it’s just human nature and the power of denial, or maybe it’s a stubborn strain of all-­American optimism, but at each aftershock since the fall of Lehman Brothers, those at the top have preferred not to see what they didn’t want to see. And so for the first three weeks, the protests were alternately ignored, patronized, dismissed, and insulted by politicians and the mainstream news media as a neo-Woodstock for wannabe collegiate rebels without a cause—and not just in Fox-land. MORE...

"Danny Glover speaks at Oakland OWS in California" (video)

OurGamehenge, with video (08:20):

Danny Glover speaks at Oakland OWS in California. The first 1:30 is footage from Occupy Melborne!

"AFL-CIO President Trumka Denouces Proposed Cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid" (video)

AFLCIONow, with video (02:23):

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka reaffirmed on Oct. 28 that the AFL-CIO opposes any cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits or to the federal contribution to Medicaid and he criticized Senate Democrats on the "Super Committee" for proposing—according to news reports—hundreds of billions of cuts.

"Michael Moore Warns: OWS Is Not Concerned With Candidates Or Voting To Make Change" (with video)

Josh Feldman, MEDIAite with video from CNN(07:50):

“This movement is so beyond just, hey, let’s get behind this candidate, get them elected to office. Those days are over. You know, we’ve all worked for candidates. We’ve all voted. We’ve all participated. And what have we gotten out of it? We’ve all written to our Congressmen and women, please pass House bill number 3428. What did we get? Where are we? We’re in the worst shape we have been in this country that I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. And, and so, this movement is not right now concerned with candidates or specific bills in Congress.” MORE...

Howie P.S.: The headline doesn't capture the full meaning of Moore's remarks. He is suggesting OWS is about about more fundamental change in our politics. WATCH THE VIDEO (scroll down).

"Seattle Central, Occupied!"

Dominic Holden (SLOG):

About 40 tents are set up right now and a trickle of new campers are arriving on the south lawn of Seattle Central Community College in Capitol Hill, where Occupy Seattle is staking its new base tonight. Here's an absolutely terrible photo of the scene:

There are easily 150 people—but it's dark, so it's hard to count them or take a clear photo—and they've built a pretty groovy little village. Some people are ladling out hot soup and one guy is making tea, while others are drumming and shaking maracas, and other folks are smoking cigarettes in the "designated smoking area." I made the mistake of setting up my tent in the designated smoking area and failing to set up my tent in the designated "do slugs of whiskey from a flask" area, because there is no such area, unfortunately. Drinking isn't allowed. In other news you probably won't find surprising, I'm not very skilled at setting up a tent.

They've scattered lots of straw about so it's sort of like being on the set of a play that takes place in a medieval barn, only the cast is wearing Gortex and tight denim.

The sentiment I've heard from campers is that, while a community college isn't what they're protesting (it's an icon of what many of them support), this a good place to send down roots. From here, they can focus on protesting banks, exposing runaway corporate control, and focusing on what matters—instead of expending energy on a squabble with cops down in Westlake Park. As for how they settled here, college president Paul Killpatrick has given his tepid welcome to the Occupiers, and today the American Federation of Teachers-Seattle, Local 1789 (AFL-CIO)—the local teachers' union—declared its support. Protesters give the teachers a lot of credit for cranking cogs behind the scenes to neutralize opposition. I saw a couple cops earlier, but they seem to be on low alert.

Howie P.S.: Some of the comments on this post criticize the decision to give up the high-profile location of Westlake during the evening hours and see the move as a retreat. My understanding is that occupiers will return to Westlake during the daylight hours when that location is alive with people.

"Seattle Central Says It's Legal to Occupy the Campus"

Dominic Holden (SLOG):

With only one day to spare before Occupy Seattle moves to his campus, Seattle Central Community College (SCCC) president Paul Killpatrick says he consulted lawyers, thought long and hard, and met with protesters who promised to bring porta-potties. Then today he announced that—while he's worried about the protest's safety risk and "financial impact"—the campus occupation would amount to "lawful freedom of speech activities."

The background harks way back to Monday, when Occupy Seattle voted to move its nighttime base camp beginning on Saturday night to SCCC, despite Killpatrick's resistance. The college followed up two days later with a tepid open letter.

But Killpatrick's memo to the college's "campus community" today declares that the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) "as it is currently written, allows this occupation to take place."

Killpatrick's letter is after the jump. MORE...

Joel Connelly: WA "Election 2011: The hottest races"

Joel Connelly (SeattlePI.com):

Light rail across Lake Washington, tolls to pay for rebuilding the S.R. 520 bridge, and the future of state-run liquor stores top the Election 2011 ballot, along with a spotty list of high-profile races across Western Washington.

Here is what you will miss if you are part of the 53 percent of registered voters who, according to Secretary of State Sam Reed, will NOT mail in ballots by midnight on Nov. 8. The hot issues and races: MORE...

Howie P.S.: Best soundbite from the story:

The key question: Which is more distasteful, having Washington in the liquor business or letting a big company buy an election?

"Progressives clash with Boehner over standing with the 99%!" (with video)

BoldProgressives with video (03:00) from CNN:

On Oct. 26, these bold candidates fought for the 99% -- delivering 35,000 "We stand with the 99%" messages to Speaker John Boehner.

Howie P.S.: I was disappointed that no candidates from Washington state were involved.

"Liberals get 'deja vu' and complain Dems have bungled in debt talks"

Mike Lillis (The Hill):

Liberals on and off Capitol Hill agonized Thursday that supercommittee Democrats had bungled early negotiations over a budget deal and put their party in a position to be bested again by Republicans.

By proposing significant cuts to Medicare and Medicaid as an early offering, liberals said the panel Democrats weakened their party’s negotiating position as Republicans, who have ceded no ground on their central anti-tax message, sat back and watched.
(SNIP)
Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee ( PCCC), a liberal activist group, echoed Welch’s message Thursday, saying the Democrats’ early offer to cut Medicare and Medicaid is “just incompetent negotiation strategy.”

“If Democrats on the [supercommittee] are proposing cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or other middle-class benefits, that is fundamentally out of step with what the 99 percent of Americans are crying out for right now,” Green said in an email. “The middle class has sacrificed enough — it’s time for Wall Street and the wealthy to finally pay their fair share, and voters need Democratic politicians to get that.” MORE...

Howie P.S.: I'm having a deja vu experience here , but I didn't know you could get one, too.

Dylan Ratigan: "International Friday Megapanel with Rapper Ari Melber" (with video)

DylanRatigan.com with video (01:28):

The Friday (International) Megapanel — Ari Melber, Krystal Ball and Matt Miller — discuss the big stories of the week, including White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley dropping an “f-bomb” in an interview with Politico.
Then, perhaps the clip of the week: Megapanelist Ari Melber utilizes his deep knowledge of 50 Cent lyrics in a political analysis of voter loyalty to the President in tough economic times, much to the delight of the panel and the Twitterverse. MORE...

"Change with an Asterisk" (with video)

Brian Shapiro (Commenting on Ben Smith's blog), with video (01:29):

This isn't news. Obama also took money from lobbyists during the 2008 campaign. I made a YouTube video about it then, citing the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, and International Herald Tribune. People just didn't want to listen then. I got a few dislikes and negative comments. Maybe this time people won't believe everything Obama tells them.

Howie P.S.: When the sound stops on the video, it's not a mistake. It's a technique.

For Cops And Politicians: "It's Not Up To You" (with image)

MOVEON.ORG.

"Obama Backers Tied to Lobbies Raise Millions"

President Obama's car, outside a fund-raising brunch for his campaign that Mr. Obama attended in Medina, Wash., in September. (CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

Eric Lichtblau (New York Times):

Despite a pledge not to take money from lobbyists, President Obama has relied on prominent supporters who are active in the lobbying industry to raise millions of dollars for his re-election bid.

At least 15 of Mr. Obama’s “bundlers” — supporters who contribute their own money to his campaign and solicit it from others — are involved in lobbying for Washington consulting shops or private companies. They have raised more than $5 million so far for the campaign.

Because the bundlers are not registered as lobbyists with the Senate, the Obama campaign has managed to avoid running afoul of its self-imposed ban on taking money from lobbyists. MORE...