Tucked in the middle of two predominantly liberal districts in Brooklyn (the 33rd and 39th City Council districts) there are pockets of conservativism. Mostly when people think of these districts they think of the battle between the reformers and the machine candidates. In the 33rd the frontrunners are reformer Jo Anne Simon vs. Vito Lopez machine hack Steve Levin. In the 39th the frontrunners are reformer Josh Skaller vs. Working Families Party machine hack (to the extent of being caught up in the big WFP scandal this year) Brad Lander. But in each of these districts the machine candidates are also locked in another struggle: the attempt to take conservative votes from the sole conservative candidate in the district.  read more »

Last night was the Rumble at IND. Most of the excitement came during the closed door, members-only discussion and I will not (unlike some so-called "journalists") violate the integrity of such a private discussion. But for those who stayed to hear the results, there was a great deal of yelling after wards as well.

Statements from two candidates in the 39th race can be found at the end.

Some very deep betrayals played out at IND last night and some very deep resentment has been built and it will hurt the club and it will hurt Assembly member Joan Millman. And there are some who will slam Jo Anne Simon with this, fairly or not, and she had better be prepared. Can they survive it? Quite probably. But, IND's impact on this year's election will be about equal (maybe a little more) than when they endorsed Suozzi for Governor, and there are some of their constituents who are now deeply, bitterly angry.

My wife epxressly invites all who are dissatisfied with IND's actions to come to CBID's brand new storefront at 548 10th St. right off 7th Ave. in Park Slope, Phone: 718-788-3409. CBID's general meetings will still be at the Isaac Abraham free space at the basement of Park Slope Methodist Church, 6th Ave & 8th St in Park Slope. Next general meeting is Jun.25, 2009 7.30 PM.

Click on "READ MORE" for the details.  read more »

From the President of NARAL-ProChoice New York:

Yesterday the New York City Council voted by an overwhelming majority to pass the Clinic Access Bill (Prop. Int. 826), which provides much needed protections for women’s access to reproductive health clinics across the city.

Even New York City is not immune to anti-choice protests. There are women who visit reproductive health care clinics in our own community who are regularly confronted by protestors who band together to harass, intimidate, and block access to basic reproductive health care services. New Yorkers won’t stand for such barriers to access—and now, we don’t have to.

Yesterday’s vote was the culmination of work that began a few years ago when NARAL Pro-Choice New York recognized the need to strengthen the law protecting access to clinics across the city. We have worked hand in hand with the City Council ever since and were proud to stand with Speaker Christine Quinn and our other allies in the City Council yesterday as they passed this important law.

The Clinic Access Bill passed 40-8, with Councilmembers Tony Avella, Simcha Felder, Vincent Ignizio, Kenneth Mitchell, Eric Ulrich, James Vacca, Peter Vallone, and James Oddo voting against it. We urge you to take this opportunity to either thank your Councilmember for supporting this bill or to express your disappointment that he or she voted against it. Find your Councilmember’s contact info here.

Thank you for standing with us throughout this process, and here’s to more pro-choice victories to come!

For Choice,
Kelli Conlin
President  read more »

Sometimes you meet someone you like and respect and can talk to, but don't always agree with on every issue. The best part about such encounters is it gives you a chance to hone your arguments in a respectful environment.

Argue abortion with Sarah Palin and it is useless because she is an idiot. Argue abortion with an intelligent, respectful opponent and you get the chance to refine your arguments.

Which is what I am doing now.

The fight over abortion comes down to two fundamental, and in this case seemingly (but not necessarily) opposing, values: the value of life and the value of a person's right to have legal jurisdiction over their own body. Both are important values, so in many debates over abortion where people are not respectful of eachother, it appears that one of these two values is being neglected by each side. I believe this does not have to be true.  read more »

The New York State Capital is synonymous with sleazy politics, lackluster political operators, inside deals, cronyism, the quick, greasy handshake between legislator and lobbyist. Albany itself can seem like nothing other than a theme park of hackery.

That seems to be changing.

Republicans in the Senate are flexing their flab and threatening to derail the governor's budget. Sheldon Silver says there will be no government shutdown.

A government shutdown? They're even talking about the possibility? How, how... Federal of them. There are actually substantial issues being discussed, it appears, issues of actual relevance - witness Governor Spitzer's pledge to safeguard abortion rights in this state if the Roberts Court decides to slice up a woman's right to choose. Meanwhile, the departments of the state government are being filled up with bright young things from all over the country. The new Attorney General seems to be in earnest about rooting out the endemic, leaden, systemic corruption of the place.  read more »