GIVIN' ME THE BLUES

Democratic candidate John Edwards is the second person I supported to drop out of the presidential primary race. It is giving me the blues. Two things about Sen. Edwards got my attention. First it was his populist agenda that brought focus to universal health care and poverty and secondly he said, “It is time to be patriot about something other than war.” That did it for me!

Mr. Edwards, or Rep. Denis Kucinich before him, never broke through the dueling "never before" candidacies of Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. Neither were able to raise the funds the later did; certainly not from my donations.

As long as Edwards and Kucinich were in the race they had the ability to influence the two remaining moderates. I know this might sound ridiculous but the media is to blame for their inability to have their messages heard; instead of a candidates’ positions, the media reported on “the race.”.

When Edwards spoke about the poor or the victims of Katina or the cost of health care, the media gave us information on his wife, his third place status or speculation on who he may now endorse. The same was true with Kucinich. His views on the war and poverty are top concerns for Democrats yet he was kept out of the debates because the media viewed him as “unelectable.”

The two remaining candidates are not addressing their issues; my issues. Those are: implementing universal health care, bring an immediate end and withdraw from the war in Iraq, addressing the xenophobic and racist attitudes toward our immigrant population, strengthening the labor movement, enhancing worker and LGBT rights, decreasing the influence of the wealthy on politics, corporate greed and corruption and the high cost of staples like oil.

And that does not even begin to mention the international crisis’s cause by the present administration, the overwhelming corruption within it or restoring the constitution.

While Mr. Obama or Mrs. Clinton will thankfully take us in new directions, neither will address those issues to the degree that Misters Edwards and Kucinich would have. And thats whats givin' me the blues.

RELIGIOUS PRACTICE

A Church's Perspective On Enforcement Of The Political Campaign Proscription

A presentation to the Exempt Organizations Committee of the American Bar Association meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 18, 2008

by the Reverend J. Edwin Bacon, Jr., Rector, All Saints Church, Pasadena, California

Thank you for inviting me to tell a bit of the story of All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena, California and what our perspective on the IRS investigation of us has been and continues to be.

It is important for you to hear from me what it means to "practice religion" at All Saints both in theological theory and in everyday expression of that theology. I also want to share with you something of the passion that we have experienced around the IRS case, including the determination to stay our course in protecting our religious practices which we see as clearly in alignment with the IRS proscription against campaign intervention. In the last part of my presentation I want to share something of the profound sense of offense and anger we feel to this day and that is felt by at least 500 new members who joined our church in an innovative category of membership called, "Solidarity Members."

First, both a theological and practical description of what it means for us to practice our religion...

Read more HERE.

THE "K" MAN (part 2)

I understand that Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) will announce that he is quitting the race for the presidency of United States of America. His decision can not be viewed as just a personal one because what he stood for has now effectively been removed from the public debate. That is deeply disturbing for someone who has made up his mind that he will no longer vote for the "worse of two evils" or "better him that so-and-so.”

RELIGIOUS PATROIT

Many thanks to the Rev. Susan Russell for reminding me of one of Ed Bacon's (Rector, All Saints Church, Pasadena) best quotes: "Faith in action is called politics. Spirituality without action is fruitless and social action without spirituality is heartless. We are boldly political without being partisan. Having a partisan-free place to stand liberates the religious patriot to see clearly, speak courageously, and act daringly."

There is an excellent guide for the upcoming elections produced by Church of the Holy Trinity in New York City. You can find the guide -- Setting the 2008 National Agenda: From a Christian Perspective -- at HERE .

THE "k" MAN

I sent this the local papers and everyone on my email list:

Dear Friends,

Today the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that MSNBC can exclude Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich from their candidate’s debate this evening. It now appears that Mr. Kucinich’s voice will not be heard in larger national forums. He has been disinvited or not asked to participate in these debates despite the fact that his views reflect a large portion, if not a majority, of Democratic voters.

There has always been an appropriate discussion around his ability to win the presidency. It has also been said that his views can move our centrist democrats to reflect the views most of us hold with regard to the war in Iraq, peace, the economy and all of the "hot button" social issues.

Other democratic candidates running for office have done nothing to allow his voice to be heard. By doing so they are complicit in silencing him.

Because I profoundly believe his voice must be heard; that this is essentially an issue of fairness, and because his views reflect my own, I am, for the first time in my life, publicly endorsing a candidate for the February 5th California Democratic primary: Denis Kucinich.