DC Dem Profiles: U.S. Congressional Delegate

This Summer, Sum of Change will be bringing you extensive coverage of D.C. local elections. To kick it off, we've been invited by D.C. for Democracy to film their pre-endorsement candidate meet n' greet on Wednesday, June 2. In preparation, we put together some bios on all the candidates that will be attending. Bios for Republican candidates for these seats will be coming shortly. To find all our current DC candidate bios, please visit our 2010 DC Election Page.

These are the Democratic Candidates for U.S. Congressional Delegate

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (incumbent)

From Congresswoman Norton's official bio page:

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, now in her tenth term as the Congresswoman for the District of Columbia, is the chair of the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. She serves on three, rather than the customary two, committees: the Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Norton is the longstanding incumbent for the position of D.C. Representative. For several decades, she has focused her political drive toward securing full representational rights for the District of Columbia in Congress. She also previously appeared on the Colbert Report.

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The Congresswoman has a long history with activism. From Wikipedia:

While in college and graduate school, Norton was active in the civil rights movement and an organizer for theStudent Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. By the time Norton graduated from Antioch, she had already been arrested for organizing and participating in sit-ins in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Ohio.

Doug Sloan

From Doug Sloan's official bio page:

Douglass Sloan is a native Washingtonian and currently owns a public affairs consulting firm, Sloan Consulting, LLC, in Washington, D.C. Sloan Consulting provides consulting services to non-profit and community development corporations, real estate developers, and various businesses in the Washington Metropolitan area.

Sloan is the current Democratic challenger for the U.S. Congressional Delegate seat for the District of Columbia. Also a vocal supporter of DC statehood, Sloan has recently advocated drastic measures to pressure lawmakers:

"If you really want to talk civil unrest, if you want to talk about shutting the city down and doing something that's really going to get Congress' attention, there's about six or seven bridges between D.C. and Virginia," Sloan said on The Politics Program With Mark Plotkin on WTOP Friday.

DC Dem Profiles: Mayor

This Summer, Sum of Change will be bringing you extensive coverage of D.C. local elections. To kick it off, we've been invited by D.C. for Democracy to film their pre-endorsement candidate meet n' greet on Wednesday, June 2. In preparation, we put together some bios on all the candidates that will be attending. Bios for Republican candidates for these seats will be coming shortly. To find all our current DC candidate bios, please visit our 2010 DC Election Page.

These are the Democratic Candidates for Mayor of the District of Columbia

Mayor Adrian Fenty (incumbent)
From Mayor Fenty's official online bio:

Adrian M. Fenty was elected the fifth Mayor of the District of Columbia in November 2006. He has made quality public education for all and efficient and accountable government hallmarks of his administration....

Going forward, Fenty is committed to meeting the economic challenges facing the District by creating new jobs, spurring neighborhood economic development and investing in local infrastructure in an effort to stimulate the city’s economy. Improving education will also remain a cornerstone of the Mayor’s agenda, with special attention paid to improving graduation rates and reducing truancy. With encouraging progress surrounding the city’s congressional voting rights status, Fenty has committed to work with the Obama Administration to make a voting member of Congress for the District a reality.

Over the last year-and-a-half, local media has reported on numerous corruption issues facing Mayor Fenty. From Wikipedia:

Mayor Fenty and his administration came under increasing scrutiny in 2009 in local media, including the Washington Post, the Washington City Paper, and local news radio station WTOP. Of note are two "secret trips" taken by Fenty in early 2009.[45] According to WTOP, one of those trips was to Philadelphia and another was to an undisclosed location in the Middle East. The same article also cites city officials who say that Fenty did not disclose to anyone where he was going.

Fenty also came under scrutiny in November 2009 when WTOP reported numerous cases of use of police motorcades. These events include using them to protect him during bicycle rides on streets in and outside of Washington, some of which were on parkways which ban bicycles.[46]

Fenty came under national criticism during the snow storms of February 2010 for the District of Columbia's inadequate response to the historic snowfall, during which the United States Federal Government was effectively shut down for almost a week.[47]

Fenty has been embroiled in a number of additional controversies reported on by the Washington Post, including withholding skybox tickets to the Washington Nationals, despite not being legally entitled to them. He eventually handed the tickets over to the city council.[48] and allowing personal acquaintances to drive city-owned vehicles.

Council Chairman Vincent Gray
From Chairman Gray's official online bio:

Vince’s dedication to his community and the residents of Ward 7 inspired a successful campaign for elected office in 2004 where he handily defeated the incumbent in the primary. During his first term as City Councilman from Ward 7, he chaired a Special Committee on the Prevention of Youth Violence, and created the Effi Barry HIV/AIDS initiative. Two years after joining the Council, Vince ran for the citywide office of Chairman of the Council. Running on the theme of “One City,” he continued his focus on uniting the disparate racial and economic groups in his hometown. He won the general election with 98% of the vote.

As Chairman, Vince has been a leader in efforts to improve the Council’s operations, transparency and oversight capacity, and has been a true champion for school reform. As Chairman, he spearheaded the Pre-K Expansion and Enhancement Act, which established a voluntary, high-quality pre-school program which will provide 2,000 new classroom slots for three and four year olds over the next six years.

Chairman Gray recently received the endorsement of DC police and firefighters, and endorsement that appears to be as much about their disapproval of Mayor Fenty as it is their approval of Gray.

"Mayor Fenty has done nothing to warrant the endorsement and support of D.C. firefighters," said Ray Sneed, president of the firefighters' Local 36. "From a labor standpoint, he is unreachable, unapproachable and our correspondence goes unanswered."

Chairman Gray took some heat recently when his proposed budget basically eliminated the popular streetcar line. By the end of the day, most of the the funding had been restored after the Chairman's office was inundated with calls from DC residents.

From an interview for the Washington Post, published on May 30th, 2010:

In graduate school, I had a professor who said to me, "What do you know about mental retardation?" I was a clinical psychology major, and I said, "Well, to be honest, not a lot." She said, "I'm on the board of the Association for Retarded Citizens, and I would really like you to think about taking a summer job there and see what you think." So I did. They sent me to a conference at Forest Haven, a really infamous institution. I walked around the grounds, up to this really high chain-link fence. While I was standing there, this staff person literally herded about 20 women out who had absolutely no clothes on and started hosing them down. It was one of the most dehumanizing things I've ever seen. I stood there, I looked at it, and it was one of those defining moments. I said: I think I could do something that makes a difference here.

Leo Alexander
From Leo Alexander's official online bio:

In 1999, Leo Alexander became a Ward 4 resident homeowner and an active member of the Brightwood Civic Association. He exhibited leadership and tenacity in helping the Association wage its successful campaign to block construction of a transfer station in Brightwood, a largely middle‐class African‐American community. This empowering experience launched his commitment to community and political activism in the District. He volunteered in a full range of campaigns; from President Obama’s historical win, to local races for mayor and council chair.

He chaired the public relations committee for the DC Federation of Civic Associations and in these duties; he produced and moderated the last major candidates’ forum for the 2006 local mayoral election. That same year, he was named the Delegate of the Year for the DC Federation of Civic Associations. Since 2005, he has served as an executive board member of the Development Corporation of Columbia Heights (DCCH). The DCCH is responsible for spearheading most of the affordable housing and commercial redevelopment projects along the 14th Street corridor; i.e., The Tivoli theatre, Giant Supermarket and DCUSA shopping mall.

DC Dem Profiles: Council Chair

This Summer, Sum of Change will be bringing you extensive coverage of D.C. local elections. To kick it off, we've been invited by D.C. for Democracy to film their pre-endorsement candidate meet n' greet on Wednesday, June 2. In preparation, we put together some bios on all the candidates that will be attending. Bios for Republican candidates for these seats will be coming shortly. To find all our current DC candidate bios, please visit our 2010 DC Election Page.

These are the Democratic Candidates for Council Chair

Councilmember At Large Kwame Brown

Committee Assignments:
• Committee on Economic Development, Kwame R. Brown - Chairperson
• Committee on Government Operations and the Environment
• Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation
• Committee on Finance and Revenue
• Committee on Public Works and Transportation

Kwame Brown started service on the DC Council in 2005. In a short time, Kwame has emerged as a national leader in Washington. He currently serves as chair of the Council’s Committee on Economic Development and Vice-Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. He is the first DC Councilmember to be a member of the Congressional Award Foundation Board of Directors, a national organization that promotes volunteerism, public service, personal development and physical fitness.

From Councilman Brown's official online bio:

In addition to his leadership roles, Kwame’s first term in office led to the revitalization of Phelps High School in Ward 5, passage of the School Modernization Act, a reform of the District’s domestic violence laws, and an unprecedented focus on neighborhood revitalization, job training and local small business development.

Kwame was recently named one of the top 10 people to watch in 2009 by the Washington Business Journal.

Vincent Orange

Former Councilmember and current VP of Pepco, Vincent Orange is attempting to get back into politics by challenging Kwame Brown.

From Wikipedia:

On September 12, 2006, Orange lost his bid for mayor in the Democratic primary of the 2006 Washington, D.C. mayoral election. Orange is now the regional vice president for Pepco Holdings Inc. for the Washington, D.C., metro area.

Orange is an attorney and a certified public accountant. He graduated from the University of the Pacific, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, 1979, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, 1980. In 1983 he earned a Juris Doctor from Howard University. In 1988, he graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he earned a Master of Laws in Taxation.

Orange served as chair of the Committee on Government Operations. There are numerous agencies under the Committee on Government Operation's purview that play an integral role in developing the overall policy for the District of Columbia. He also sat on three standing committees: Public Services, Public Works and the Environment, and Labor, Voting Rights and Redistricting.

DC Dem Profiles: At-Large Council Member

This Summer, Sum of Change will be bringing you extensive coverage of D.C. local elections. To kick it off, we've been invited by D.C. for Democracy to film their pre-endorsement candidate meet n' greet on Wednesday, June 2. In preparation, we put together some bios on all the candidates that will be attending. Bios for Republican candidates for these seats will be coming shortly. To find all our current DC candidate bios, please visit our 2010 DC Election Page.

These are the Democratic Candidates for At-Large Council Member

Councilmember At Large Phil Mendelson (incumbent)

Committees:
• Committee on Public Safety & the Judiciary – Chairperson
• Committee on Public Works and Transportation
• Committee on Human Services
• Committee on Housing and Workforce Development
• Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation

From Councilman Mendelson's official online bio:

Phil Mendelson was first elected to the City Council in November 1998. He is the Chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary and is a member of four additional committees: Housing & Workforce Development, Human Services, Public Works & Transportation, and Libraries, Parks, and Recreation. Along with representing the Council at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, he's also President of the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO).

Phil has been active with District issues since 1975 when he joined the McLean Gardens Residents Association in the fight to save that 43-acre housing complex from destruction. He ran for a seat on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in 1979 and continued to serve as an ANC Commissioner until he took office as an At-Large member of the Council.

Clark Ray

Clark Ray has served as Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation for DC, the Director of External Affairs for DC Sports and Entertainment Commission, a Neighborhood Services Officer, and in several offices in the Clinton/Gore administration. He is a strong supporter of education reform.

From Clark Ray's official online bio:

Clark’s leadership at the Department of Parks and Recreation resulted in some of the most dramatic improvements seen in the District’s neighborhoods in many years. Clark opened new and renovated recreations centers, installed new artificial turf and natural turf fields, renovated and maintained existing fields, constructed the first official city dog parks, expanded summer camp for city youth from 8,500 to over 12,500, and created partnerships with non-profit groups to help supplement recreational and educational programming.

Clark’s service to the people of the District has also included walking the beat as a Reserve Officer for the Metropolitan Police Department, working out of the Third District and the City’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit. Clark also served as the Founding President of Metropolitan Washington Gaymes Committee, the nonprofit entity tasked with bidding for the 2014 Gay Games. Clark and his partner, Aubrey Dubra, reside in Ward Four’s Crestwood neighborhood.

Kelvin Robinson

From Kelvin Robinson's official online bio:

Kelvin J. Robinson is a seasoned public servant with more than 15 years of service, having held various senior-level positions within state and local government in Florida. From 1994 to 2001, Mr. Robinson was the Director of Legislative and Public Affairs for the Florida League of Cities, where he served as chief lobbyist and spokesperson for Florida's more than 400 cities. In this capacity, he successfully represented the issues of Florida's cities to the members of Congress, the Florida Legislature, various agencies of state and federal government, as well as before business and civic organizations. During his tenure, Florida's cities experienced an increase in their home rule and fiscal authority, securing passage of a number of local organizational and revenue reforms. Florida's municipalities also enhanced their relations with federal and state policymakers as well as statewide business interests.

Before joining the Florida League of Cities, Mr. Robinson served as Director of the Division of Hotels and Restaurants where he was responsible for the licensing and regulation of Florida's public food service and lodging industry, as well as elevators. In that capacity he was recognized for having successfully consolidated food and lodging inspections under one agency, as well as for streamlining inspection processes, which resulted in less costly and more efficient operations.

DC Dem Profiles: Ward 1

This Summer, Sum of Change will be bringing you extensive coverage of D.C. local elections. To kick it off, we've been invited by D.C. for Democracy to film their pre-endorsement candidate meet n' greet on Wednesday, June 2. In preparation, we put together some bios on all the candidates that will be attending. Bios for Republican candidates for these seats will be coming shortly. To find all our current DC candidate bios, please visit our 2010 DC Election Page.

These are the Democratic Candidates for the Ward 1 Council

Councilman Jim Graham (incumbent)

From Councilman Graham's official online bio:

Jim Graham was first elected in 1998, and re-elected in 2002... In his first term on the Council, Mr. Graham chaired hearings and an investigation that uncovered major fraud and theft at the Office of Property Management. This work led to felony criminal indictments and restitution to the DC Government of millions of dollars.

In his second term, as chair of the Committee on Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Mr. Graham was a strong advocate for tenant rights and consumer protection, extending and tightening the District’s rent control laws, creating a “bill of rights” for tenants, and ending abusive, illegal evictions of tenants.

Mr. Graham is now chairman of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation. That assignment includes oversight of alcohol regulation. He is also a member of the Committee on Aging and Community Affairs, the Committee on Housing and Workforce Development and the Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs. Mr. Graham is a voting member of the Metro/WMATA board of directors. He has been a voting member of the board since 1999 and previously served as chairman in 2003 and 2009.

Jeff Smith

From Jeff Smith's official online bio:
Spending the past 25 years in Washington, D.C., Jeff works hard to give back to the community that’s given him so much. After receiving his undergraduate and law degree from Howard University, Jeff immediately immersed himself in community activities where he could ensure D.C.’s continued progress and growth. Jeff has worked with policy makers, and later in the classrooms of the DCPS school system and as an elected School Board Member. In 2007, Jeff became the Executive Director of DC VOICE where he continues to engage the community in DCPS issues and reform.

As a D.C. native and long time resident of Ward 1, Jeff is committed to advancing the interests of the neighborhoods and communities of D.C. in sight of what he sees as a long pattern of neglect and inadequate representation. Jeff believes his friends and neighbors in Ward 1 deserve safer neighborhoods, more responsible economic development, schools that play a central role in the life of the community, and an overall improved quality of life. These goals cannot be addressed adequately with ad hoc responses to problems as they present themselves but must be approached with attention to the broad social dynamics at the root of the challenges the community faces.



Bryan Weaver

From Bryan Weaver's official online bio:

Bryan Weaver is a long-time community activist, an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) serving in his fourth-term, and a communications professional with over 15 years of experience in progressive causes. He has worked on coalition building in local and national politics, promoting livable and affordable urban neighborhoods, crime prevention, education, community and economic empowerment, affordable housing issues and nonprofit work geared toward youth leadership development. He is a true believer in the economic and cultural diversity of Ward One and all of Washington D.C., and uses his elected office as a platform to give a voice to those who have been forgotten by the city government.

Bryan is serving is fourth term (seventh year) on the Adams Morgan Advisory Neighborhood Commission. He served as Chair for three years. An extremely active and engaged commission, it routinely deals with complex issues such as public safety; liquor licensing; building livable, urban communities; strengthening multi-cultural neighborhoods; and encouraging business development. As such, Bryan has years of leadership experience in one of the busiest, diverse and dynamic communities of Washington, D.C.

DC Dem Profiles: Ward 5

This Summer, Sum of Change will be bringing you extensive coverage of D.C. local elections. To kick it off, we've been invited by D.C. for Democracy to film their pre-endorsement candidate meet n' greet on Wednesday, June 2. In preparation, we put together some bios on all the candidates that will be attending. Bios for Republican candidates for these seats will be coming shortly. To find all our current DC candidate bios, please visit our 2010 DC Election Page.

These are the Democratic Candidates for the Ward 5 Council

Councilman Harry Tomas, Jr. (incumbent)

From his website:

Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr. campaigned for and successfully won the D.C. Ward 5 Council seat in November 2006. He was sworn into office in January 2007. Councilmember Thomas is Chair of the D.C. City Council’s Committee on Libraries, Parks, and Recreation. He sits on four additional committees: Finance and Revenue, Housing and Workforce Development, Government Operations and the Environment, and Aging and Community Affairs. Councilmember Thomas is the son of late three-term Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas, Sr., and former D.C. Public School principal Romaine B. Thomas. Councilmember Thomas attended D.C. Public Schools and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. He holds a degree in Public Relations/Marketing from Bowie State University. Councilmember Thomas was Vice President of Public Affairs for the Public Benefits Corporation (formerly D.C. General Hospital)...

Councilmember Thomas is a former Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, and has served as Chair of the Woodridge Health Clinic. He is a past President of the D.C. Young Democrats and a former At-Large elected member of the D.C. Democratic State party, for which he coordinated local and national events. Councilmember Thomas has worked for the national Democratic Party, holding the office of Treasurer. He has also served as the Adult and Youth Chair of the Neighborhood Planning Council. Councilmember Thomas is a member of the YMCA, NAACP, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and Woodridge Boys and Girls Club.

Kenyan McDuffie

From his website:

Kenyan worked as a trial attorney for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he conducted investigations and managed cases throughout the United States regarding enforcement of key federal civil rights statutes, including defending the rights of the mentally ill, nursing home residents, and persons with disabilities, and also working to reform the policies and procedures of police departments throughout the country. Prior to joining the Justice Department, he worked as an Assistant State's Attorney in Prince George’s County, where he prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases in District Court and on appeal in Circuit Court. He also served as a judicial law clerk for an Associate Judge on the 7th Judicial Circuit of Maryland...

Kenyan, an experienced attorney and civil rights advocate, is a proven community leader whose campaign, like his life’s work, is focused on your future. For more than a decade, Kenyan has dedicated himself to improving the lives of Ward Five residents and the collective life of the Ward Five community.

DC Dem Profiles: Shadow Representative

This Summer, Sum of Change will be bringing you extensive coverage of D.C. local elections. To kick it off, we've been invited by D.C. for Democracy to film their pre-endorsement candidate meet n' greet on Wednesday, June 2. In preparation, we put together some bios on all the candidates that will be attending. Bios for Republican candidates for these seats will be coming shortly. To find all our current DC candidate bios, please visit our 2010 DC Election Page.

These are the Democratic candidates for Shadow Representative

Shadow Representative Mike Panetta (incumbent)

From Mike Panetta's official online bio:

Mike Panetta has been the District of Columbia shadow representative since 2007...

Panetta has run several high-profile campaigns for D.C. representation, including starting the District of Columbia Olympic Committee and leading efforts to rebrand RFK Stadium as “Taxation Without Representation Field”.[2][3] Panetta has pledged to make District of Columbia voting rights a national issue that is embraced by progressive activists across the country.

Panetta was reelected in 2008, facing no opposition in the Democratic primary[4] and defeating D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate Joyce Robinson-Paul in the November election by 86 to 13 percent.

Nate Bennett-Fleming

From Nate Bennett-Fleming's official online bio:

Nathan's work in public service was launched in 2001, when Nathan was a staff assistant and intern in Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's office. After learning from Congresswoman Norton, Nathan has worked on several national, state, and local campaigns including the Ben Cardin for U.S. Senate campaign, where he was a regional field coordinator and the John Kerry for President campaign, where he was the deputy national director of African-American Religious Outreach.

In 2009, Nathan worked on crafting a comprehensive strategy to achieve statehood and congressional representation with the D.C. Councils Special Committee on Statehood and Self Determination, chaired by Councilmember Michael A. Brown. In addition, Nathan has gained legislative and legal experience as a summer attorney at two Washington D.C. law firms. Nathan also has finance experience gained as an summer analyst at the Wall Street investment banking powerhouse, Goldman, Sachs & Co. The variety and depth of Nathans professional experiences leaves him as the best qualified candidate to advocate for self-determination and to represent D.C.s residents as a liaison to the United States House of Representatives.

Jon Kuhl

From Jon Kuhl's official online bio:

Having always been passionate about civic involvement, Jon works as the Speaker and Congressional Affairs Manager at the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, a non-partisan organization that runs leadership conferences for students from across the country. In addition to managing the organization’s relationships on Capitol Hill, Jon organizes weekly visits to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for groups of high school students. As part of his work, Jon also moderates a bi-monthly webcast featuring former members of Congress discussing various topics designed to give high school students a better understanding of how our government works.

Jon believes strongly that the District of Columbia should have full voting rights in Congress, and is intent on building a national coalition of support to end our city’s taxation without representation. Unsatisfied with the status quo, Jon wants to engage his fellow Washingtonians in an effort to increase pressure on Congress. With Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, and with President Obama in the White House, now is the time to demand representation.

Making States More Green

cross-posted from Sum of Change

The question on how states and local level governments can assist the green wave is commonly considered, especially when discussing the current job market and nation’s economy. Michael Fedor, the Pennsylvania state director for Repower America, and Adam Graber, PennEnvironment, bring up various ways to support this process.

The following clips were filmed at the 2010 PA Progressive Summit, held this last January in Harrisburg, PA. In the first video, Fedor and Garber answer a question regarding the Maglev System (a budding green friendly train system appropriate for state wide and city commuting) and how to gain federal funding for a project such as this. In the final video, Garber and Fedor specifically address plans to decrease coal dependency in Pennsylvania, another solution to help states become greener.

For more info on the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit and it's organizer, Keystone progress, please go to paprogressivesummit.org and keystoneprogress.org

"We're Not Out Of The Woods Yet"

cross-posted from Sum of Change

History repeats itself. It is 1948. Not literally of course, but we are about to relive a moment of U.S. history. A moment in history when our government, with the President leading the charge, took steps to remove a form of bigotry from our armed forces. For several years leading up to that point, the government had experimented with integrated units, providing black soldiers with a chance to serve in the normal people's army (kind of).

As the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy (the homosexual's equivalent to experimental desegregation) takes center stage amidst reports of a potential deal, the folks from Get Equal are cautioning people not to celebrate too quickly.

This language shifts responsibility for repeal from Congress to the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- two-thirds of whom were not elected by a supportive American public.[1] Repeal hinges on a subjective study to ensure that our presence in the military won't have a negative impact on the military, there is no date given to end military discharges of LGBT servicemembers, there is no change to the DADT law right now, and there is no guarantee that repeal will happen -- whether or not the conditions on the amendment are met.

We're happy that Congress may take the first step this week in repealing this discriminatory legislation -- but we're not out of the woods yet.

If there is one thing we have learned from recent fights, the Republican party is going to use every available avenue to derail this legislation. This debate is just beginning and the debate will be ugly. We know the debate will be ugly because we have lived through this before.

We have seen how the conservatives react when liberals attempt to use the armed services as a vehicle to drive a radical, social experiment.

They told us that "To change would destroy morale and impair preparations for national defense...no experiments should be tried . . . at this critical time."

They told us that "Experiments to solve social problems would be 'fraught with danger to efficiency, discipline, and morale'."

These were the rational arguments they made the last time the nation took steps to remove bigotry from our military. Those calmly stated arguments in favor of bigotry were matched by lone wolf attacks on black service members and their families.

So, while Democratic leaders may be getting giddy over a possible deal, I have to agree that "we're not out of the woods yet." But for the first time since this President has taken office, I am confident that we are going to have the chance to really have this fight. And for the first time, I am confident that we are going to see an end to Don't Ask Don't Tell, a major step forward for the LGBT community.

Jean du Preez on the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty

cross-posted from Sum of Change

Back in April, we spoke with Dr. Peter Wilk of Physicians for Social Responsibility about the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). That treaty has been hailed as a major step forward in the interest of arms reduction. Yet arms reduction is just the tip of the iceberg. To deal with this issue, we need to not only reduce armaments but conceptually rethink our entire policy regarding nuclear arms.

There are many aspects of nuclear non-proliferation where action is seriously needed. We are going to delve into some of these areas, but today I would like to talk specifically about the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty. This treaty was signed in 1996, but the United States Senate failed to ratify it. President Obama has pledged to work aggressively getting it ratified by 2011.

For more context, and a little bit of looking forward, check out this interview with Jean du Preez:

You can find a lot more information about nuclear non-proliferation from the good folks at NPT TV, a student run operation to shed light on these issues.