NH INSIDER

"Tonight the independent voice of Massachusetts has spoken."

Sam Adams, John Hancock, John Adams, or one of many other famous leaders who called Massachusetts home at our country's founding might have spoken this phrase at Faneuil Hall in 1773. But, of course, these words were spoken at Boston's Park Plaza Hotel in 2010 by Scott Brown, the winner of yesterday's special election for U.S. Senate in that same state.

The many ties of Brown's victory to the nation's patriotic history are difficult to ignore. Like many of the founders, Brown was a political underdog from Massachusetts, his seat was once held by John Quincy Adams, and his supporters were largely frustrated by an establishment who insisted, through their actions, that holding onto power was more important than the wishes of the people. After what some in the media have called "a new Boston Tea Party," Brown's election could be the start of a new kind of revolution in 2010.

And once again, it starts in Massachusetts.       

In the latest "Engaging Democracy", Eric O'Keefe discusses the factors that lead to Brown's swift rise, the impact of yesterday's election, and its close ties in political meaning and geography to the critical times and places of our country's founding.



The resurgence of the term "tea party" represents one of this year's biggest stories in politics. The roots of the tea party movement in 2009 grew in an environment of government takeovers, financial bailouts, and other federal spending increases. But their principles, and their name, are derived from that famous protest in Boston, which celebrates its 236th anniversary today. 

In this edition of "Engaging Democracy," Eric O'Keefe revisits the story of the Boston tea party, and draws the connection between the participants in that historic event, and those involved in the tea parties of 2009.

Listen to the podcast here.

To sign up for more podcasts and updates from the Sam Adams Alliance, visit samadamsalliance.org.

We added about 1300 people to this monthly newsletter over the last year. That growth is all happening due to word of mouth and blogs and so forth. Keep up the good work. Tell your friends about NI4D and encourage them to visit our site. The momentum is building.

As you may be aware, The National Initiative for Democracy would add initiative to all levels of government in the United States. Initiative is important because it balances the power between you and your elected representatives, it completes suffrage in the sense that it allows you to vote not just for people, but also directly on issues, and finally, it ensures your freedom.

Marcus Cicero, over 2000 years ago, defined freedom as participation in power.

Power is lawmaking; if you don't participate in lawmaking, all you can do is live by the laws that are made for you. Either you live by their laws or you go to jail. Those who make the law have the power to constrain your freedom.

Follow the logic: If freedom is participation in power and power is lawmaking, then freedom is participation in lawmaking.

The key to freedom is the National Initiative; it gives the people the tools they need to make laws, to have direct oversight over the issues that affect their lives. Now THAT is freedom. The crux of the National Initiative is to share power and enjoy freedom.

I am pleased to report that we are finally providing some financial transparency. Last month we received a total of $60 in donations. This month's donations are updated hourly at http://demofound.us/donate.htm. It has long been our desire to provide more financial transparency, but until recently, nobody stepped forward to actually get the information published in real-time. That is our predicament as an organization with an all volunteer staff. If nobody volunteers then it doesn't get done.

Against a backdrop of about 230 articles over the last month blaming California's legislative initiative for the budget debacle (i.e. "ballot box budgeting"), the New York Times published an fascinating suggestion on July 28. In brief, California's initiative procedure has flaws, but getting rid of initiative is not the only solution! Elmendorf and Leib suggested that the majority party, minority party, and the governor submit a budget to a citizen jury consisting of randomly selected voters. After deliberating on the budget proposals for a week, the citizen jury would decide which budget to accept. Whether you agree with Elmendorf and Leib or not, it is refreshing to see news coverage of the California budget crisis that does not blindly recommend getting rid of legislative initiative! Visit NI4D Planet for more fascinating articles related to the quest to ex pand initiative.

If you have some free time, please get involved. Take a look at our current projects. There is plenty of work to go around. NI4D is a monumental project that deserves your monumental contribution.

Who: Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)

What: Exclusive interview regarding the situation in Honduras.

When: July 10th, 2009

Where: Dirksen Senate Office Building

DeMint Soundbite #1: The facts don't support Obama in Honduras.

"I am just at a loss to understsand why the Obama Administration is saying that this was an illegal coup and that the constitutional process was interrupted. The facts don't appear to back them up."

DeMint Soundbite #2: Chavez is not on the side of freedom.

"When the United States is on the side of Chavez, who hates us, who's trying to organize the whole region against us, we've just got to ask if we're on the right side. Chavez, Ortega, the Castro brothers are clearly not on the side of freedom."

DeMint Soundbite #3: Zelaya abdicated his role as president.

"In my mind, the facts say this was a constitutional process that way carried out by the government and Zelaya abdicated his role as president when he attempted to change the constitution.

Length of Full Interview: 2:20

Click for full video file:http://washingtonnewsobserver.com/?p=113