The Oregon Progressive Party has nominated these 7 candidates for the November 2012 Election:

The Party has also adopted this Oregon Progressive Party Statement for the Oregon Voters's Pamphlet.  Here is the Statement of Robert Wolfe.

The Rocky Anderson ticket includes Luis Gonzalez for Vice-President of the United States.  Robert Wolfe, Cameron Whitten, and Chris Henry are exclusively the candidates of the Oregon Progressive Party.  Steven Reynolds has been cross-nominated by the Pacific Green Party and the Libertarian Party of Oregon.  Woody Broadnax has been cross-nominated by the Pacific Green Party.  Peter DeFazio has been cross-nominated by the Democratic Party and by the Working Families Party of Oregon.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has for decades opposed limits on political campaign contributions and expenditures.  ACLU even filed an amicus brief on the side of the corporations in Citizens United, arguing that corporations have the rights of humans and the right to make unlimited expenditures in political campaigns.

If that was not bad enough, now ACLU opposes disclosure of the sources of those independent expenditures.  ACLU sent a letter to Congress on July 16, 2012, opposing the DISCLOSE Act.  The letter stated:

Although the ACLU supports measures to guarantee the independence of groups making independent expenditures, we are concerned that heavy-handed regulation will violate the anonymous speech rights of individuals and groups that associate with these independent expenditure groups, subjecting them to harassment and potentially discouraging valuable participation in the political process.

Who knew that the real problem is that those poor multi-billion dollar corporations could be subjected to harrassment, if they have to reveal that they are funding political campaigns.

ACLU not only urged Senators to oppose the DISCLOSE Act but urged them to allow the filibuster against it to succeed by voting "no" to cutting off debate ("cloture").

We urge you to oppose S. 3369, the Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections (“DISCLOSE”) Act, and to vote “no” on cloture if the bill is presented for consideration on Monday.    

Thus, argues ACLU, it is so important that political spending remain secret that a minority of the members of the Senate should thwart the will of the majority by using the anti-democratic tactic of filibuster--a filibuster for the sacred right of corporations to do unlimited, secret spending in political campaigns.

Thanks, ACLU, for again siding with the corporations and making clear your view that corporate rights are more important than democracy.

July 20th is the day of action for all of us. Cameron has called all of us together to celebrate his 50th day of a hunger strike. That my friends is very impressive by a man in his 20s, I believe he is 21. When I was 21 I was running around in the Navy, probably in the Mediterranean. To be concerned about my fellow man/woman or child was the furthest thing from my thoughts. I just wanted to see the world, get drunk and have fun. I was your vision of a young sailor on his own and having a ball. Cameron makes my early life look like a selfish experience in growing up. He is way ahead of me and I honor him for that. The 20th of July is a call made from a hero; will you answer it or just remain a spectator? We will gather about 1630, (4:30 PM for all you *pollywogs) and try to circle the building that the 5 shits call city hall. You will see many of good nature, some will sing and others will just hold hands to see how far we can encircle the place of no action. This is a command performance of the 99% against the 1% and will live in our memory. I will have a time---will you?

Please pass this on to your list and maybe we can make the members of our city council say, “this is getting hot.” Cameron has done his job well, what about you?

*pollywogs ----a person who has not been across the international date line. Once you made it across you are called a “Shellback.”

More serious info can be found here:

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2012/07/416701.shtml
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2012/07/416617.shtml

http://www.facebook.com/PortlandMayorSamAdams
http://www.facebook.com/cameronswhitten

Portland Mayor Sam Adams went to the annual US Conference of Mayors gathering last week, introduced 4 resolutions, and all four passed unanimously!

One of those was titled: ESTABLISH AS A POSITION OF THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS THAT CORPORATIONS SHOULD NOT RECEIVE THE SAME LEGAL RIGHTS AS NATURAL PERSONS DO, THAT MONEY IS NOT SPEECH AND THAT INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES SHOULD BE REGULATED

Read the full resolution here.

The second resolution advocated for on-site treatment of radioactive waste where it is produced instead of shipping it elsewhere, especially Hanford.  It was titled: REQUIRE THAT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FOCUS ON THE TREATMENT AND STORAGE OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE ON-SITE WHERE APPROPRIATE TO MITIGATE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS OF TRANSPORTING LOW, HIGH AND MIXED LEVEL WASTE TO OFFSITE TREATMENT FACILITIES. 

Read this full resolution here.

Read the blogposting by Mayor Adams here and take a minute to comment, thanking him for his leadership on these matters. 

You can read about the other two resolution there as well.