Voting Begins Soon… For a Truly Democratic Future!
“The power of Wall Street is undermining life for the rest of us on Main Street. This is totally unacceptable. I will fight for a truly democratic and sustainable future every day, on the campaign trail and in Congress.”
– Norman Solomon
Voting by mail begins in early May, and we need to get our message out to voters in the next few weeks!
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Congressional candidate Norman Solomon devoted life to voicing progressive values
Originally published by the Marin Independent Journal on Monday May 7
By Richard Halstead - Marin Independent Journal
About 25 years ago, West Marin resident Norman Solomon obtained his FBI file by filing a Freedom of Information request.
Solomon, 60, discovered the FBI began keeping tabs on him in 1966 when he picketed for the desegregation of a Maryland apartment complex at age 14.
Solomon on Track to Be Top-Two Finisher in June Primary
Norman Solomon's campaign for California's new North Coast Congressional district (CA-02) released the results of the most recently conducted poll in the race, showing Solomon in second place in the 12-way contest, in which the top two finishers in June's primary election will advance to the November general election.
Solomon Wins Endorsement from Teachers Union
The California Federation of Teachers has endorsed Norman Solomon for Congress in the new North Coast district spanning from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.
“We look forward to working with you to promote issues pertaining to California’s educational system, public employees, and protecting the interests of working families,” the union’s president, Joshua Pechthalt, said in a letter to Solomon.
Solomon, an independent progressive Democrat, responded by vowing to work for full support of public education and working people. “The status quo is unacceptable,” he said. “Students, teachers, parents and communities deserve robust public investment in our schools. This is an unwavering commitment that I intend to fulfill as the North Coast’s representative in Congress.”
Three congressional challengers very worth supporting
Originally published at Salon.com
By Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com
Excerpt:
When it comes to Congressional candidates, it just doesn’t get any better than Norman Solomon. If you have any residual doubt, just look at this remarkable 2007 TV appearance he did on CNN with Glenn Beck, which he wrote about here, when he used the opportunity to detail and denounce the effect of corporate ownership of America’s establishment media (including CNN). He’s been doing this for 30 years and there’s zero chance he will change or compromise any of it if he wins. I can’t even imagine what it’d be like to have Norman Solomon in Congress, but I’d certainly like to see it. You can — and, I hope, will — support his campaign here.
Thank You for Voting for Norman as a DFA Grassroots All-Star!
Thousands of people responded by voting for me online when Democracy for America, the national organization founded by Howard Dean, conducted its straw poll for the strongest Democratic candidates for Congress.
Because of your support, I finished #2 among nearly 200 candidates nationwide -- winning our campaign quick endorsement and support from national DFA!
Norman Solomon will give us the straight scoop
Originally published by the Times-Standard
Dan Hamburg / For the Times-Standard
Since 2001, Humboldt County has contributed roughly $350 million to fighting the nation's wars (costofwar.com). I'm supporting Norman Solomon because this expenditure represents a catastrophic misuse of public funds and because Norman, among a group of strong candidates, is uniquely qualified to help stop the bleeding.
When I finally met Norman last year, after decades of reading his work, I wondered why such a smart and accomplished activist would think the U.S. House was the best place to work for progressive political change.
My own experience as a congressional representative in the early 1990s was that despite big numbers, progressives never got much traction in the corporate-dominated, money-drenched atmosphere of Washington, D.C. Even when the efforts of the numerically significant Progressive Caucus were combined with those of the Black and Hispanic caucuses, “leadership” routinely ignored our issues from campaign finance to fair trade to job creation.
Nearly 20 years later, what's changed? If anything, D.C. politics have drifted steadily to the right, and the pernicious influence of money has been even more firmly imbedded in the American political system.
Solomon Campaign Scores Major Victory
Norman Solomon’s campaign for Congress scored a major victory last weekend when opponent Jared Huffman failed to win the endorsement from California Democratic Party delegates, who cast votes from all over the new congressional district that stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.
Despite the fact that some of the delegates were appointed by officials who conditioned their appointment on voting in his favor, Huffman received endorsement votes from just under 48 percent of the delegates. In sharp contrast to the balloting on the same day for Michael Allen and Wes Chesbro (two of his fellow Assembly members seeking re-election who received overwhelming support from party delegates), more than half of the Democratic Party delegates rejected Huffman’s candidacy.
Donahue stumps for Solomon
Originally published by The Press Democrat on Tuesday Jan. 10, page B1
By GUY KOVNER - THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Phil Donahue, left, campaigns for North Coast congressional candidate Norman Solomon in Sebastopol on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012. (CHRISTOPHER CHUNG/ PD)
Former TV talk show host Phil Donahue said Monday he is enjoying his first foray into congressional politics by stumping for fellow liberal Norman Solomon on the politically green North Coast.
"I am having a very exciting time," Donahue, 76, said at a meet-and-greet at Two Acre Wood, a co-housing community in Sebastopol.
Solomon, a Marin County author and activist, is one of 11 candidates seeking to represent the new coastal district in Congress, a wide-open race triggered by Petaluma Democrat Lynn Woolsey's decision to retire this year.
Donahue, white-haired and wearing rimless glasses, built a national reputation as host of an Emmy Award-winning syndicated talk show that ran for 26 years, ending in 1996, and that ranked 29th on TV Guide's list of the top 50 all-time best shows in 2009.
Uncle Sam is making the wrong choices
Originally published by The Press Democrat
By Norman Solomon
On a recent day in Petaluma, two very different events spotlighted grim results of upside-down priorities from the federal government.
Upwards of 600 people gathered for an early breakfast at the Veterans Memorial Hall to raise money for the Committee on the Shelterless (COTS), a nonprofit organization that last year sheltered nearly 2,000 individuals, served more than 127,000 hearty meals and distributed 800,000 pounds of food to the needy.
We heard moving stories about — and from — people whose lives have been transformed by active compassion, generosity and their own hard work. But, as speakers lamented, COTS must turn away many who need help.
Charities and other nonprofits are struggling to cope with deep economic wounds that have been festering for years. The dire consequences are far more widespread than private agencies can possibly heal.
Only government has the capacity to provide economic remedies for social distress of this magnitude. But government is failing.
Rep. John Conyers endorses Norman Solomon for Congress
U.S. Rep. John Conyers, the 24-term Democrat from Michigan, has endorsed independent Democrat Norman Solomon for Congress in California's 2nd District, which stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.
“We especially need Norman's leadership now because my colleague Lynn Woolsey, a great fighter for peace, is retiring,” Conyers said.
Conyers' support for Solomon follows recent endorsements from Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Dolores Huerta, legendary co-founder of the United Farm Workers union.
Conyers, who has served in the House since 1965 and is the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and the Congressional Black Caucus, stressed Solomon's leadership on foreign policy, war and health care issues.
“Norman has always been at the forefront of fighting to stop the invasion of Iraq, the occupation of Afghanistan, and now, the threatened attack on Iran,” said Conyers.
The Norman Solomon Food Stamp Diet
Originally published by SanRafael.Patch.com
The progressive candidate for the 2nd Congressional District goes shopping in San Rafael on a lean budget to demonstrate a point.
By Christian Kallen | SanRafael.Patch.com
To be clear, Norman Solomon is not on Food Stamps. The American journalist, media critic, author and antiwar activist has a nice home in Inverness, a working wife, and is a current candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives for the 2nd Congressional District.
But during this week the 60-year old candidate is staying within a “food stamp budget” of $31.50 for a week, as reported earlier when he began the experiment in Sonoma County. That comes down to about $4.50 per day, and that’s the limit Solomon has put on his food purchases to demonstrate the hardship that today’s economy places on low income Americans.
Campaign Announces Endorsements From Rep. Raul Grijalva and Dolores Huerta
Two of the nation’s most influential Latino leaders -- Rep. Raul Grijalva, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Dolores Huerta, legendary co-founder of the United Farm Workers union -- have endorsed Democratic candidate Norman Solomon for Congress.
The endorsements come in the race for an open seat in California’s new coastal district stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.
Congressman Grijalva (D-AZ) said: “I have decided to endorse Norman Solomon, my friend and a great progressive activist, advocate, and author, in his primary race for U.S. Congress.”
Grijalva added: “This is a time for bold leadership. This is a time for activist solutions. This is a time to elect historical, not rhetorical, progressives -- in other words, progressives who have shown with their entire lives that they are on our side. That's why I am so proud to take the unusual step today of endorsing my friend and progressive ally, Norman Solomon, in his campaign to win the primary for Congress from northern California.”
Longshore Union Endorses Norman Solomon for the North Coast Congressional Race
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) is endorsing Norman Solomon for California’s 2nd Congressional District where Representative Lynn Woolsey is soon retiring.
“We’re supporting Norman Solomon because he’s the strongest advocate for working families and the best qualified to make real change in Washington,” said ILWU International Secretary-Treasurer Willie Adams.
Adams says Solomon was the only candidate who scored 100% on the key issues, including:
- Protecting Social Security without raising the retirement age or restricting benefits;
- Protecting Medicare and moving toward a “Medicare for all” system for all Americans;
- Opposing unfair trade agreements with countries like Colombia where human rights are ignored and union members are constantly murdered.
- Raising taxes on the richest 1% and corporations to make sure they pay their fair share.
Time for a new New Deal
Originally published by the Marin Independent Journal
By Norman Solomon
Guest op-ed column -- Marin Independent Journal
FOR MANY PEOPLE across Marin County, the job crisis is all too real.
Never mind the news reports that Marin's official unemployment rate — at 7.8 percent — is "the lowest in the state."
That's scant comfort to the jobless and underemployed, scrambling to make ends meet.
The new normal of high unemployment has become so chronic that some pundits crow about a mere downtick.
Solomon Will Not Accept Corporate PAC Money
Congressional candidate Norman Solomon announced today (Sept. 6) that he will not accept any corporate PAC money in his campaign for the open seat in California's new North Coast district, which extends from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.
Solomon, a progressive Democrat who is campaigning this week in Humboldt and Mendocino counties, said that lofty rhetoric about the need for campaign finance reform must be matched by action. "Huge corporations seeking to fatten their profit margins are using Political Action Committees to pressure and sway members of Congress," he said. "I don't want their money. I want to be accountable to voters, not Wall Street."
Taking the unusual step of pledging not to accept a single campaign contribution from a corporate PAC, Solomon declared: "We're not supposed to have government of, by and for the large corporations -- or Wall Street. Many of the biggest companies are posting record profits while many millions of Americans are out of work. Home foreclosures are sky-high, schools are losing teachers, retirement security is in jeopardy. This is completely unacceptable."
Sean Penn stumps in Petaluma for Congressional candidate
Originally published by The Press Democrat
By GUY KOVNER - THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Academy award-winning actor Sean Penn made a cameo appearance at a political campaign event on Tuesday in Petaluma, calling North Coast congressional candidate Norman Solomon a “principled man.”
Penn, wearing a open-collared white shirt, dark jacket and slacks, got an ovation from the crowd of about 200 at the Mystic Theater before his five-minute speech.
“Thank you and welcome to the new District 2,” Penn said, proving he is aware of the new nomenclature for the district that now stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.
Solomon, a West Marin author and activist, is one of four Democratic candidates seeking the seat to be vacated in 2012 by retiring Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma.
Recalling their joint trip to Iran in 2005, Penn said he and Solomon were at a rally for Iranian women’s rights in Tehran when the police arrived and “out came the batons.”
Norman Solomon: Budget Deal Is a “Huge Mistake”
Congressional candidate Norman Solomon released this statement today:
This is a very bad deal and a huge mistake. Instead of capitulating to Republican ideologues in Congress, we should stand our ground on behalf of seniors, children and other vulnerable Americans. All the rhetoric about “shared sacrifice” rings hollow when the vast majority of us are being sacrificed to the benefit of big banks and Wall Street.
There are plenty of sensible and effective ways to reduce the deficit -- including a transaction tax on Wall Street, an end to the Bush tax cuts for the very wealthy and a major reduction in military spending. But the bipartisan dealmakers in Washington are ripping up the social compact and slashing the safety net that’s essential for vast numbers of Americans.
One of the most dangerous aspects of this deal is that it explicitly sets the stage for future actions to undermine Medicare. This scenario is a betrayal that strikes at the heart of precious values, and it’s among many of the current threats to vital social programs. I am committed to defending Social Security and Medicare on the campaign trail and as a member of Congress.
Solomon Calls for ‘All-Out Defense of Social Security’
Please click image to enlarge it.
A day after President Obama urged fellow Democrats to go along with “trimming benefits” for Social Security and other safety-net programs, North Bay congressional candidate Norman Solomon called for “an all-out defense of Social Security.”
Solomon, a progressive Democrat who was elected as an Obama delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, said Tuesday [July 12] that Social Security cuts would be “a tragic mistake, undermining our nation’s best values as well as its future.”
“Our leaders should be fighting to protect seniors, children, the jobless, the disabled and other vulnerable Americans, not throwing Social Security on the table and pulling out knives,” he said.
“I support the efforts by many Democrats in Congress to resist this looming assault on seniors and others who depend on Social Security and Medicare,” Solomon added.
“The idea of cutting Social Security and Medicare is not only a moral outrage -- it is a disastrous approach that would end up costing us dearly in the long run, severely damaging people’s quality of life and escalating healthcare costs,” Solomon said. “This is not how a civilized society solves its budgetary problems.”
This full-page ad was printed in the May 20-26 edition of the Pacific Sun:
See also "North Bay Candidates for Congress Differ on Nuclear Power."
Please click image to enlarge it.
Featured Video
Humboldt Sentinel interview with Norman Solomon 2/7/2012
In His Own Words
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It’s war and peace that to me circumscribe our realities here…. We’re being depleted of resources for state and local government services. We need to redefine what national security is. It’s not national security to have our schools crumbling. I would argue that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made us less secure.
Norman Solomon
Pacific Sun, Jan. 14, 2011 -
I revere the New Deal legacy that gave our country Social Security and other key aspects of the social compact. President Franklin D. Roosevelt fought for economic fairness. Before the end of his first term, FDR denounced “the economic royalists.” He said: “They are unanimous in their hate for me -- and I welcome their hatred.” He did not say, “They hate me -- and I want them to like me.”
Norman Solomon
Marin Independent Journal, Dec. 23, 2010 -
Washington’s failure to respond to climate change is an abysmal betrayal of hopes. The coal and oil industries, along with other corporate behemoths, have managed to trump the interests of life on Earth… It doesn’t do much good for officials to agree that the planetary house is on fire if they won’t really fight for turning on the fire extinguishers.
Norman Solomon
Solar Times, Autumn 2010 -
When I listened to children from Helmand province at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Kabul, it was clear that they didn't know or care whether the man in the Oval Office had a “D” or an “R” after his name. They, and their surviving parents, were trying to stay alive. For all the talk about winning hearts and minds, the refugee camp told a different story about priorities.
Norman Solomon
Marin Independent Journal, Oct. 7, 2010 -
The survival of all living beings on this planet, the entire ecosystem, depends on our civic engagement, on our working together to do the difficult tasks, to engage in the tedious activities, to be part of the political process, to insist that the ocean is not for sale, that the government is not for sale, that our earth is not for sale.
Norman Solomon,
speaking at rally against offshore oil drilling
Marin Independent Journal, June 27, 2010 -
No amount of rhetoric about the dignity of work can make up for the deficit of determination from elected officials to roll back the scourge of unemployment…. Even when they decry high jobless levels, many in Congress seem to passively accept the myth that government can do little other than boost the private sector…
Norman Solomon
The Press Democrat, June 24, 2010 -
We can generate sustainable green jobs, protect small independent fishers and ecologically fragile coastlines, and rebuild local economies to serve communities rather than the big corporate model of take the money and run.
Norman Solomon
Eureka Times-Standard, August 10, 2011 -
In Washington, job one should be creating jobs. And that won't happen by continuing to give tax cuts to the wealthy while imposing benefit cuts on the rest of us.
Norman Solomon
Marin Independent Journal, August 15, 2011
Dan Hamburg in conversation with Norman Solomon
Eureka
Point Reyes Station
From Wall Street to Main Street, the Future at Stake
By Norman Solomon
On a beautiful autumn day, hundreds of people gathered in downtown San Rafael to call for basic change. The signs varied, but in essence they gave voice to hopes for democracy instead of “corporatocracy.”
We were on a main street, opposing rule by Wall Street.
The upsurges of Fall 2011 have been much more than a wave of protests beginning with “Occupy Wall Street” actions in the nation’s mightiest financial district.
From Manhattan to Marin County and beyond, people are anguished, disgusted, angry and -- increasingly -- determined.
And we should be determined. The future is at stake.
Corporate power is fundamental to what ails our country. The remedy is genuine democracy.
Jeff Cohen's article catching fire online today: "Progressive Election Strategy and the Norman Solomon Campaign" http://t.co/EIx1VQ20
Marin IJ news article just out: "Congressional candidate Norman Solomon devoted life to voicing progressive values" http://t.co/s7EagDYW
Campaign forum with former North Coast congressman Dan Hamburg in Eureka, 6 pm Monday. We'll be "in conversation"... http://t.co/8O8rn8SG
Thanks to all at this evening's campaign house party in San Rafael! Looking forward to house party in Ukiah tomorrow afternoon!
"Let's Intervene in Elections" ... an editorial from In These Times, just published: http://t.co/vsJIbNgS